Rescue Me, Sister
by VogueCharlotteVogue
Summary: Sequel to The Turning of The Lost Girl. Michael and Sierra are in a blissful heaven with their families and friends after the battle. Three months later, a loved one is stolen from them and suddenly, it feels like the battle three months prior was the beginning of the end. As Sierra fights to rescue her loved one, dark schemes and secrets she could never dream of are revealed.
1. Meditate

Our final day of liberty before there is nothing but gruelling hours to suffer, endless amounts of work and snapping adults attempting to calm down a teenagers adrenaline rush. The last day before school starts, each adolescents nightmare. It's another one of those days I never wanted to come to a close. After everything that has happened over this vacation what with our battle with vampires and all the heartbreaking revelations that were unveiled, it's nice just to relax for once before a milder chaos starts again. Something I never thought would once pamper me is now the ultimate treat, the sunlight gazing down on me and the soothing sound of the tidal waves crashing together.

A red polka dot swimsuit embracing my curves so the sun rays can greet practically every part of my skin and the man I love caressing my forehead with endearing kisses, it's the perfect way to end a vacation of horrors.

"Sierra! Sierra!" Laddie calls from his castle of sand, finally that dream of his had come true after all the struggles to be able to achieve it. He scampers over to us merrily with a grin beaming from his face. "I've made our house! And it's big enough to fit everyone in it, just like I wanted! Can you and Michael come and see it? Please with a bit fat cherry on top!"

Michael and I chuckle at him; he's been building our 'new home' since we got here in the morning. Michael leaps to his feet with a smirk pencilled on his lips, sauntering over to Laddie; dust like sand sprinkles all over my tanned legs.

Laddie squeals with glee as Michael elevates him onto his shoulders.

"I'm taller than you!" Laddie giggles, peering down at the ground below him "Are you looking forward to see our new house, Michael?" he then asks with hope.

"I've been looking forward to seeing it all day, from the moment you started making it!" Michael replies happily, running down to Laddie's construction site. I haul myself to my feet after picking up my cream quilted, leather bag and follow their footsteps in the beige sand.

I reach Laddie's masterpiece where Laddie is taking Michael on a guided tour, spiralling around the area of his palace. Michael crouches down as Laddie grasps onto his hand to lead him around, he sends a wink my way when his crystal eyes rise up to see me.

"You and Sierra can decide where your room's going to be!" Laddie continues, still pacing around the piles of sand with Michael's hand conjoined to his "Do you like it, Michael?"

"I love it! When do we move in?" Michael asks, admiring Laddie's handy work. Laddie halts in his tracks for a few seconds, his mind drifting off into serious thoughts.

"Soon! Once the others see it" he announces, his attention soon falls onto to something far in the distance "Sierra, can we get an ice cream?" I look behind me to see the white ice cream truck situated at the side of the road masked in pictures of the menu with armies of children about Laddie's age rushing towards it.

"Of course, baby boy!" I give my consent, after all it is the last day Laddie will be able to do something like this since summer is coming to an end now and autumn is beginning to wind in; all the soaring temperatures will soon fall and the clement sun will morph into grey clouds.

Laddie races over to me and clutches my hand, dragging Michael along with him. Michael is optimistic to abide though as he keeps that enticing smile intact.

Laddie guides us to the ice cream truck across the arid grains of sand that slip through my toes and calm gusts of wind that entangle in the naturally straight strands of my dark chocolate hair. He chirps on enthusiastically about how we're all going to live like royalty in his palace of sand with a thousand butlers and maids to handle our every needs and how we're going to have a mighty feast every night until our stomachs explode!

"... and then you and Michael are gonna get married there as well!" Laddie declares, jumping for joy. Michael and I exchange amused smiles; both of us are thinking the exact same thing.

"I think that could be a plan" Michael winks at me again and brushes a kiss on my supple cheek. I feel a breeze of lively spirits running along my veins as happiness surges over me.

We arrive at the ice cream truck; Laddie almost instantly drops my hand and dashes over to the white van so he can get first in line before the masses of small children swarm. Michael and I walk briskly over to him. Laddie scans the colourful delicacies that are printed on the side of the truck with their eccentric names and costly prices next to them. After a lengthy time of decision making, Laddie twists around to face us with a broad grin spread on his lips.

"Sierra, can I have the 'Vanilla Thrilla' please?" he requests politely with that irresistibly sweet smile making it difficult to say no even if the cost is dear. I nod to give my approval and rustle through my bag for $3.50. A tender hand touches my shoulder, causing me to stop.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll pay" Michael reassures me as he produces a $5 bill from his pocket.

"Are you sure? Honestly I don't –" Michael silences me with a persuasive kiss on the lips. I let my eyes slide close, with the subtle heat drumming down on us and Michael's lips fusing with mine, it is like I'm in another world.

"Yuck!" Laddie exclaims bringing me out of that harmonious heaven as Michael and I disconnect.

We can't help but laugh at Laddie; his face appears grossed out with his eyes scrunched to disenable his view and his tongue sticking out in revulsion. I remember when I was his age and every romantic kiss shared by a loved up couple was like watching someone throw up.

"I'll pay" Michael repeats humbly, kissing my cheek again and playfully tapping my nose once. Before I can make another protest, Michael walks over to the hatch where an old man with a bald head, increasing grey sideburns and a luminous yellow bowtie around his neck emerges with a greeting smile. Laddie waits patiently by Michael's side, balancing on his tiptoes.

When the cheerful old man presents Laddie with his ice cream, he scurries back over to me bashfully with Michael following after he receives his change. The elderly man flashes me an odd look, possibly believing Michael and I are Laddie's parents.

"Sierra!" a gruff voice calls among the roaring engines of travelling cars. Before I can thank Michael, I turn my head around to the direction of the familiar person. Edgar, Alan and Sam swerve their way through the compact spaces between the cars, infuriated drivers honk at them.

"Screw you, buddy!" Alan yells rowdily at one of the drivers who looks on in disgust that such language could come from a fifteen year olds mouth. Then again, this is Alan we're talking about.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!" another driver snaps as Edgar climbs over their saffron car bonnet.

"Yeah, whatever. Watch where you're driving more like it" Edgar grumbles; only my brothers could turn something as simple as crossing the road into a wild escapade.

Sam keeps a hurried pace behind them, apologizing to each of the drivers who Alan and Edgar manage to offend. My two brothers complete their somewhat hectic journey across the road, casually walking over to me like they are the coolest kids in town. I roll my eyes at them in disbelief.

"Damn it, guys! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" I sigh meeting them halfway. I place my hands on my hips to exhibit my annoyance at them.

Sam finally catches up; he bends over clasping his knees with little beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead and wheezes heavily.

"Jesus, Sierra, don't worry about it" Edgar retaliates as if he has all the knowledge of the world contained in his brain.

"Yeah, we haven't got hurt before so we won't get hurt now!" Alan adds. I just tut at them and roll my eyes again. I feel a friendly arm envelop around my waist, I can just tell that arm belongs to Michael without even taking a glance.

"Anyway..." Sam pants gathering up all the air he possibly can in his lungs before opening his mouth to speak again "Let... these guys... tell you. I... need to... sit down" Sam departs over to a secluded patch of sand where he slumps down with Michael and Laddie accompanying him.

I transfer my view back to Edgar and Alan who still position themselves with their arms crossed and legs a shoulder width apart in baggy vest tops, acid wash jeans in a blue hue and grey rags tied around their foreheads.

"What's up then?" Edgar unfolds a tourist map of Santa Carla and reveals it to me. The map contains the area of Santa Carla with all the main attractions such as the beach, the Boardwalk and famed fast food chains being highlighted in eye-attracting colours.

Edgar pinpoints his finger on the decrepit ruins of the Victorian hotel; the cave where the guys use to hang out before we annihilated most of them. Marko and Paul were destroyed, but David and Dwayne still exist. It isn't Dwayne I have to worry about though.

"See all the red stickers?" Edgar probes. I nod and snatch the map from his hands for further examination, my eyes trace over the map to find each of the circular stickers "They're possible places Delilah could be, I say we start searching tomorrow. We've been waiting long enough" Ever since the showdown we have all been guessing where Delilah could be.

My proposals for actually looking for her immediately afterwards had been ignored by Edgar and Alan whose reasoning for it was because David might have her and he definitely wouldn't stick around in Santa Carla when he knows people who desire to kill him reside there. After all it would be too risky for him to stay. So I have to admit, my brothers decision was a logical one.

"Why not tonight?" I question, snapping my head up from the bubbly map. I want to begin the hunt for my sister as soon as possible. If it was my choice, I would be roaming around every street of Santa Carla right now just to even catch a glimpse of Delilah. However, Michael and Star forced me to have some fun on the last day of vacation.

"Sierra, we're going back to school tomorrow, and you're going to that concert tonight. We'll start tomorrow" Alan instructs me. I forgot about the concert, and hopefully Delilah could be there. She always did adore concerts, just like me.

* * *

~Night~

Star and I access the concert on the beach together; the blaring music from the talented band performing dominates my ears. We stride over to the bandstand, embarking our way through the thriving horde of anonymous figures who pulsate with energetic vibes. In front of us is roaring bonfire with its orange flames dancing along boisterously to the rock music.

Stars attire of a tight white lace corset and a white ankle length skirt that flutters around as it pleases in the wind makes her look like an angel who has just floated down from heaven. We reach the front row only to be greeted by waving hands of the band.

The lead singer, Jimmy, who I go to school with, chucks his microphone on the floor creating screeching feedback and jumps off the stage to where we are standing. His long black locks that flow down past his shoulders and his outfit of a ripped leopard shirt that reveals his shimmering muscular torso and destroyed jeans shine out the making of a rock star. He welcomes Star and I with a kind hug.

"Sierra, I haven't seen you since last semester! And Christ, Star, where the hell have you been?" he inquests with a brightening smile glued to his face. Jimmy, Star and I used to hang out all the time before Star was reeled in by David. It makes me feel all warm inside now that the three of us have united again.

"Just doing random stuff" Star quickly replies. Jimmy won't believe us about Stars true story, even if she does have plenty of alibis to back her up.

"Nice! Well it's cool to see you again, it's been too long" Jimmy and Star gaze over each other for a while, the both of them grinning like a pair of Cheshire cats. Jimmy ends the flirting trance by removing his eyes from Star onto me "So, who's the guy, Sierra?"

"What guy?" I ask, confused to whom he is implying; after all, he could be talking about one of David's fellow vampires or Michael.

"Don't try fool me, Sierra Frog! Remember, I've known you since kindergarten, therefore I am entitled to know at least who your love buddy is!" he chuckles heartily; I raise a nurtured eyebrow still unaware of this guy "The new guy? The one with the Jim Morrison kind of look going on? And if you still can't remember, the dude you were making out with on the beach today?" sudden realisation hits my brain.

"Oh! You mean Michael!" I feel incredibly stupid; who else could he have meant? I'm pretty sure now that I analyse it all, Jimmy wouldn't be talking about David and the others.

"Ah, so that's the dude's name! I'm guessing he's your boyfriend?" I still can't control my raising smile when people refer to Michael as my boyfriend. It makes me too happy.

"Is it that obvious?" I joke, and with that, Jimmy beckons the two other band members to rush over.

The Stevenson brothers, River and Jude drop their instruments and crouch down beside Jimmy's head. River and Jude could be twins the way they practically alike with their wavy blonde hair and heart shaped faces. The only difference between them is that River has stunning blue eyes and Jude has plain yet mysterious brown ones. They moved here from Rhode Island just three years ago, around the time Star joined David. I had made firm friends with them instantaneously.

"Told you that the new guy was Sierra's boyfriend!" Jimmy boasts, hollering into Rivers pierced ear where an incredibly oversized cross earring hangs.

"No shit!" Jude yells back sarcastically "I kinda guessed that when they were eating each other faces off!" I pout teasingly and place my hands on my hips, indicating mock offence. "Lovingly, of course!"

He eyes Star up and down either familiarising himself with her comeback to the real world or checking her out.

"Jimmy, why are you hogging all the hot girls? First Sierra, now her friend! Jesus, man, no fair, you could at least share!"

I knew Star was going to get the spotlight of attraction from guys tonight what with her angelic appearance. She deserves a man who treats her like a princess, especially after David isolated her from the public for a number of years.

"Sorry, Jude, but Sierra's taken by the mysterious man named Michael!" Jimmy informs him, the trio of musically talented guys trade saucy looks before landing their eyes back on me.

"Ooh Michael? Sierra and Michael, Michael and Sierra. Has a ring to it I suppose. At least you're thinking about the ring!" Jude winks at me, ruffling my hair to create a mess. It doesn't insult me though as it would to most girls, I just laugh.

"Is he coming to Santa Shithole High?" River investigates, his mind buzzing with further questions.

"Of course! After all, it's the best shithole in town!" The three of them wolf whistle humorously; Star and I snicker girlishly at them. My cheeks advertise the colour red as I blush.

"Well, when we see you two lovebirds smooching at the lockers tomorrow after the bell, you gotta introduce us. After all, the guy hasn't been through our test yet!" Jimmy has always been protective of me, and watches whatever boyfriend I have like a hawk until he deems fit for the role. "And before you start fretting, Sierra, don't worry! We've already got the pictures of Rob Lowe stuck up in your locker with kiss marks. Thanks, River, for sacraficing your lips virginity by putting on the red lipstick. It means a lot, bro"

River flings an arm over Jimmy, looking directly into his eyes with an rueful emotion.

"Jimmy, my good bro, my lips lost their virginity a long time ago. Sorry you lost your chance." Jimmy is about to protest when River drags him into a solacing embrace, patting his back and hushing him. "It's okay, Jimmy, don't cry, I'll find you someone who will love you, and it won't be your mom this time. I promise, bro"

Jimmy, like us, is striving not to laugh at River's antics. River tilts Jimmy's chin in order to face him.

"I'll even buy you flowers" River jokingly kisses a cackling Jimmy's forehead, making hilarious noises to go with his joke. Before Star and I can even laugh, a fuming security guard marches over, shoving River and Jude out of his way.

"What the fuck, man?" Jude barks, flinging his arms up defensively. "My brother was comforting our friend! You ruined the moment!" The rough looking security guard yanks Jimmy by the collar of his shirt. Jimmy doesn't even flinch.

"You've got thirty seconds to get back on that stage or you're gone!" the enraged man spits in Jimmy's ear, he fails to intimidate Jimmy who doesn't seem too phased by the man's orders. Jimmy calmly rotates his head sideways to face him with a smirk set upon his lips.

"Okay, big guy, don't panic" the security guard gets more raged like a bull when taunted as Jimmy dares to lightly slap his jaw.

"Just perform already" he storms off backstage with his fists still closed. Jimmy chuckles slightly and hugs Star and I once again in a farewell.

"See you two beautiful ladies tomorrow" Jimmy springs back onto the stage and retrieves his microphone from the midnight floor that reflects the light of the moon that glimmers over us.

He brings the microphone to his lips; his first words captivate the audience's attention straight away.

"This one's for Sierra and Star; two very good friends of mine" Star and I gape our mouths in surprise; he is really going to dedicate a song to us! Jimmy winks at us then nods at River to indicate the beginning of the song.

The electrifying sound of the guitar being strummed echoes beautifully throughout the whole of the beach along with the ecstatic screams of their many fans. Star whoops loudly as my face falls into sadness, the marshal amp that the guys and I used to sit on arrives into my field of vision.

Memories of Dwayne tickling me to get a shot of vodka, Marko cradling me in his arms, and David situating me on his shoulders so I could see, flash through my mind. Those four Lost Boys were like brothers to me. My heart won't allow me to stop loving them. I have to let them go, I need to let all those memories scatter away like ashes in the wind.

A moderate kiss on the cheek and a placid arm wrapping around my hips pulls me out of my past life and into the present. When I turn around to see Michael's handsome face, all those memories become extinct.

"I've got you something" Michael whispers in my ear. I can feel something cold lightly touch my neck.

I graze my fingertips along a thin chain. I pick up the main feature with my index finger and thumb. The letter 'S' in a small font size and masked in silver is equal with my eyes. A broad smile spreads along my face and I twist around to kiss Michael only for his lips to meet mine first. The sign of our love seals once again. Michael disentangles his lips and smiles lovingly at me

"Do you like it?"

"I love it! Thank you so much, Michael, its beautiful!" I melt myself into Michael's sturdy frame, smooching his cheek repeatedly. His arms remain secure around me as I revolve around to watch the band consisting of my friends.

"Just like I love you?" Michael showers me with alluring kisses on my head, this night and this love between us will never end. I am sure of it.

"And just like I love you too" With that, I turn around and kiss his lips with all the love I have stored inside of me. This truly is the perfect way to end a series of heartbreaks.

* * *

**Sierra and the others are back guys! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and there's plenty more to come filled with drama :D **


	2. Set Me Free

_I stride into Edgar and Alan's bedroom, a shrunken room full of weaponry vampires would find terrifying. On the deteriorated double bed where the two boys sleep, they are veiled by black silken bedding. There is something wrong. Edgar and Alan aren't usually this silent. I warily creep over and pull the covers off. Blood, there is nothing but metallic blood disguising Edgar and Alan's bodies. I stumble backwards in utter shock, and my hand grasps my horrified mouth. My brothers are dead. My two little brothers have been brutally murdered. Who has done this to them? I can't let out any screams; nothing can flee from my mouth. Why can't I scream? Who is stopping those howls of panic? Suddenly, there is an immoral cackle from behind me. I twist my head back, platinum blonde hair and outlandish golden eyes are the first thing I see. He has come back for me. He can't have me. But he has returned to steal me. Nothing can cease his malignant operation. _

_"Be one of us"_

* * *

"David!" I scream. My body launches itself upright without hesitation. My heart pounds impulsively, my mind bursts with that harrowing face repeating itself and my breathing is reckless. Moist lines had formed from the tears I shed whilst in the nightmare that terrorized me in my sleep and my whole face is drenched in sweat of anxiety. My arms cling around the feminine person in front of me; I grab fistfuls of their dark corkscrew curls as if my life depends on them. My whole body trembles with a bitter cold temperature escalating inside of me. David, I can't even escape from him in my dreams. Why must he haunt me? Could he pillage me in my sleep? I can't become that creature he transformed me into again. I just can't.

"It's alright now Sierra, you're ok" the voice hushes, confirming that I am in Stars sheltering arms. Star runs her fingertips soothingly along my hair as tears drip continuously from my bloodshot eyes as sobs choke out from my mouth. Whenever even having thoughts of David and who I discovered him to be, I can't help but shudder. But now, he had paid me a visit in my in my dreams, and something tells me that it wouldn't be the last occasion he would do so.

"Don't let him... Star don't let him" I weep into her shoulder, creating patches of damp tears mixed with the sweat that gleams from my face.

"He can't touch you now, he's gone. David's gone" she reassures me calmingly, and tilts my chin tenderly for me to look into her serene eyes "He won't ever get you Sierra, not with me around. Now come on, smile for me" the corners of my mouth creep up just for her commands and lulling words "That's better! Now, take that pretty face of yours into the bathroom and get dressed. I'll make breakfast" I nod, wiping away the extracts of teardrops. I believe in Star; I trust in her that David won't even breach his mile radius to near me. I place my bare feet on the wooden planks that act as a floor, each step I take they welcome me with a high pitched creak. I enter the dimly lit bathroom, closing the door behind me. I study my face; sweat glistens like the sun on a clear winter's day, the tears are camouflaged by the sweat that reigns. My eyes are puffy as if they have ingested clouds and the colour scarlet stands out. I attempt to improve my image by blinking a few times; it doesn't work as the mirror still reflects my fear. I sigh in despair and turn the shower on. Hopefully, the purified water would wash away all evidence of how David still lingers in my mind.

* * *

I rush down the stairs wearing a cosy oversized grey sweatshirt with one sleeve hung off the shoulder, floral stirrup pants in the main colours of baby pink and white granny boots along with the cherished necklace Michael had bought me last night. My lips are painted in a beaming red and my eyes covered subtly in black eyeliner. Nobody is to be seen downstairs. At least that's what I think until I see the mist-like smoke arising from behind the worn down couch. The odour of pungent oily herbs persists in the air, the distinct smell is unmistakable. I revolve my body halfway around to disappear back to my room; I can't get caught by my parents, if I do then I'll be lured into a mindless conversation where all the other participants will do is ramble aimlessly on and giggle hysterically at the most irrelevant thing.

"Sierra, is that you?" my mom calls, I bite my lip and groan. I unwillingly turn back around towards the two insignificant figures in my life. They both grin with their stained teeth flashing causing me to grimace a little and their eyes sag from all the toxins they have smoked.

"That definitely looks like my little girl!" my dad cheers in a chilled tone of voice. The only way I can tell the difference between my parents what with their long dark brown locks and black sunglasses permanently bound to their faces, is the very recognisable bushy grey beard my dad chooses to sport "Come over here Sierra and let me give you a kiss" I roll my eyes and walk gradually over to them. I perch on the edge of the couch, keeping my distance from my parents. Dad leans forward and plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek, his irritating beard rubs against my jaw as he does so. I have a lot to thank my father for though. If it wasn't for him educating Edgar and Alan of the vampire's existence then I would still be another possession belonging to David. Mom gasps theatrically, folding her arms like a little kid and pouts.

"What about me? I feel all left out now!" without any joke mentioned, the two of them begin to collapse into heaps of laughter.

"Good morning to you as well" I mutter and leap up onto my feet so I can make a prompt getaway from the childish adults.

Numerous feet sprint down the stairs; Laddie appears first as he dashes over to me with a peppy smile on his lips and drapes his arms around me. Star and Laddie had moved in with us the very moment I suggested it. I couldn't allow them to live in the cave any longer, not only was it not a suitable place for them to reside but the crypt of the damned holds too many painstaking memories. Memories that still ail me.

"Good morning Sierra! Am I going to school with you and Star today?" he inquires, his beautiful wide eyes staring up at me with hope etched on his face. I glance over at Star with sorrow consuming my eyes; I can't help but feel guilty as I will have to disappoint Laddie.

"Not today baby boy" I sigh, skimming my fingers in his light hair. Laddie is a missing child, abducted by David. We can't let him go to school without fearing that someone will recognize him. We will return Laddie back to his parents, once we find them.

No one has shown themselves to proclaim him yet, we'll wait until that day. My heart sinks as Laddie's smile fades away. I look into his eyes, hoping that he will see those a thousand apologies I express to him.

"What do you want for breakfast Laddie?" Star asks, aiding me out of this upsetting situation as she guides him over to the chair at the circular dining table where he slumps down in low spirits, clutching his precious teddy bear close to him. He grumbles a response to Star. Poor Laddie, he will achieve his other dream of going to school, I'll make sure of it.

"Is that my two babies?" Mom sniggers, Edgar and Alan share a mutual look of dismay and let out a lengthy exhale through their noses.

"Hey Mom" Alan uninterestedly replies, his gaze fixed on his multicoloured shoes; Edgar snaps his head to where I slant my back on the fridge door and coughs slightly to attract my attention, even if I am already overlooking their awkward situation.

"Help us" he mouths frantically with his eyes multiplying in size.

"Guys, could you come over here and get breakfast? You're gonna need it for today" I excuse them, without delay they dart over to the fridge. They nod in thanks at me, grateful for my help. I don't blame them for being desperate to flee from our dysfunctional parents' short lived concentration. It could be a struggle to get out of and once stuck in their complete absorption, it is a bothersome thing to endure.

"My beautiful grown up girl, so caring!" Mom wails, propelling her arms around Dad who weeps along with her "I can't believe I gave birth to you seventeen years ago! My baby girl, all grown up!" Edgar, Alan and I look at each other in disturbance before snickering quietly. I move myself over to the table and pull out a seat. Before I can even sit down, an object from my past comes into view. The earring. The earring of my friendship and faithfulness to David situates itself on the table, taunting me to wear it once again. I remember once Mr Emerson had drove me back here after Michael and I were examined over at the hospital, I came in and chucked it there in a fit of rage and it has been ignored ever since – until now. I feel an affectionate hand on my shoulder; I tear my eyes from my allegiance to my former master to see Stars divine, rich brown eyes there to comfort me.

"It isn't you anymore Sierra, it's no longer a part of us" tears arrange themselves in my eyes; Star immediately takes me into her nurturing embrace "No tears Sierra, no more tears. Not for him" she whispers softly in my ear "He isn't worth your tears" I try to withhold my sadness from emerging for everyone to see my true colours shine, those true colours that David fabricated. I have to be strong, I can't be weak. Stars right once again, David isn't worth a single teardrop I produce. Not after what he made me suffer.

* * *

The car horn sounds from outside my house, Star and I unwrap ourselves from the consoling hug. She smiles warmly at me, giving me a lift of inspiration.  
"That's gonna be Michael" Star gives Laddie a farewell kiss on the head before leaving the house of hell. I glance at Edgar and Alan who wait for me by the door. They appear so normalised in their graphic printed vests and jeans compared to the night of the battle that shattered the disillusions of hope, freedom and my true love for the guys.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be out in a minute" they depart out the door, displaying a sign of sympathy in their meek smiles before they go.

I crouch down by Laddie who plays with the spoon given for his cereal, swirling it around in the pool of milk joylessly. I tuck a piece of his light almond hair behind his ear, his eyes don't move an inch from his breakfast of sugar coated cereal. "You'll be at school one day Laddie" I assure him. Laddie's grievous eyes gradually become equal with mine.

"Pinkie swear?" I present my pinkie to him and bandage it around his to mark my vow to him.

"Pinkie swear" I repeat to show my honesty, a corner of Laddie's mouth rises up as do little pieces of happiness in my heart "Now, you go up to my room and you can read as many of Edgar and Alan's comics as you like. Mrs Emerson will be picking you up in about an hour" I place a kiss on his head "See you later baby boy" and with that I sling the strap of my denim canvas bag over my shoulder and walk out the door.

* * *

The suns spectrum of dazzling colours greets me as I shut the front door and a refreshing breeze strolls around in the atmosphere like a mellow stream moving along a river. There isn't a single fluffy cloud in the air, revealing the sheet of pure blue. A rush of pleasant sensations from the delicate heat cleanses my body, ridding me of any negative energy. I saunter over to the cream Chevy where Edgar, Alan, Star and Sam sit in the back and the man I love sits behind the wheel, looking amazingly stunning as always.

Michael has his arm casually spread across the seat next to him, his milky chocolate curls windswept and wears a grey shirt flaunting his perfectly sculpted form. His desirous blue eyes look over at me as I get into the car, strapping myself in. Instantly, I am reunited with his gentle lips as they touch mine in a welcoming kiss. Edgar and Alan splutter coughs in a disapproving manner; I break away from Michael's tender-hearted hello and turn my head to look at them. A smirk crawls on my face as they glare at me.

"I missed you princess" Michael whispers in my ear. I remove my sights from my brothers who still appear just as revolted by their older sister kissing someone.

"I missed you too baby" I connect our lips together again. Michael knots his fingers in my hair and leans even forwarder, his hand cupping my cheek.

"If you guys don't end this make-out session, we're gonna be late. And I'm not too keen on getting a tardy on our first day" Sam informs us, I detach my lips from Michael in agreement. No matter how much I desire to have moments of complete love like that, Sam is right. We can't be late on our first day; I want Star, Sam and Michael to make a good impression on the first day.

"Chill out Sammy, we'll get there in time!" Michael says relaxed, not giving a singular care in the world. With that, Michael fires up the engine and drives off into the horizon.

* * *

Santa Carla High, the underworld of education. The American flag of red, white and blue proudly wafting in the composed wind and the sign above the school that is meant to say 'Santa Carla High School' concealed in green and pink graffiti, are the only festive colours that can be exhibited throughout the premises. The dull brick school stands out clearly among the intensely hued buildings of Santa Carla. This school is one of the rare spiritless places in the whole city. The only thing that creates life in this place are the inmates that are incarcerated here from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. I slam the car door behind me and before I can even give them a hug goodbye, Edgar, Alan and Sam are already gone from sight.

Michael laces his fingers with mine and Stars arm firmly links around my arm. As the three of us endeavour over to the cage where we shall not be freed until later this afternoon, some of the other teenagers who I am familiar with make eye contact with me, analyzing Michael and I with smirks glued to their lips and hastily snapping back to their friends where they begin to whisper the latest piece of gossip.

"Looks like you two are becoming the next celebrities of Santa Carla!" Star titters with Michael and I laughing along with her.

"I guess we are!" Michael chuckles "It'll be you next Star!" I can just predict within the first semester, Star will have her own man who will worship over her like a goddess and respect her for the kind-hearted woman she is.

"I don't think I'll be able to overshadow your rise to fame! If memory serves me right, I do believe Sierra is one of the coolest chicks here? If you're on the cheerleading squad still, this must still be the case" the corners of my mouth yank themselves up and I can't tame my laughter.

"Being a cheerleader doesn't make you popular Star!" I snigger. Star increases one of her eyebrows height and scoffs before poking her tongue out at me.

"The cheerleader outfit works for me" Michael murmurs flashing a wink at me; Star and I giggle hysterically with Michael. Considering this is supposed to be a day where all entertainment and happiness is swiped from us, it is far from it! Michael forces the door open with a groan expressing its hinges, inviting us into sheer mayhem.

* * *

In between the cracked white cement walls that act as borders in the seemingly infinite hallway, teenagers in different categories stand chatting away to their friends. All of them are so compressed together you can't even put a finger through them without it breaking.

"I forgot this is what high school is like" Star sighs, her eyes wandering amongst the crowds of young people to work out a route for us. Mischievous hoots attempt to make echoes through the rambunctious hall, coming our way.

"Welcome to Santa Shithole High!" River whoops, bundling Star and I in his arms and smooching our heads jokingly.

"River, man! I don't like to be left out; I'm your goddamn brother!" Jude hollers and motions his way to our gathering, swaying us side to side, he sighs in a chilled out way "Now this is what I call brotherly love" Just to add to the collection, Jimmy barges his way through the barrier of Jude and Rivers arms and snatches mine and Stars' waists.

"Sorry boys, but these two are mine!" he announces formally before standing up, his eyes manoeuvre onto Michael "So you're the famous Michael?"

"Michael, these are my friends; River, Jude and Jimmy" I introduce them, Michael smiles welcomingly.

"Oh yeah, you guys were the band at the beach last night, its cool meeting you" Michael outstretches his arm inviting Jimmy to shake his hand. Jimmy accepts the invitation, firmly shaking Michael's hand.

"A gentlemen, you need to date one of them Sierra!" Jimmy suggests, glancing over at me before moving his sights onto River and Jude "Boys, I do believe the test is over and marked. Welcome to the gang Mike!"

That was possibly the most immediate acceptation to our circle of good friends Jimmy has ever granted. His blessing is just another confirmation that Michael is the right one for me. The rusty and ancient school bell screams out, condemning us to our cells. Mobs of students evacuate the hallway, the deafening voices rise to a crescendo. That bell abolishes all liberty until we can finally be set free.

* * *

**So what do you guys think of Jimmy, Jude and River? If Jimmy was real- I would so date him ;)  
Hope you guys liked this chapter and let me know what you think in a review! Reviews keep us authors fuelled, so review away! :D **


	3. The Pyramid of Repetition

I stand at the top of human pyramid formed together by twelve girls with their hair tied back into a high ponytail and all clothed in a uniform of a pure white sweater with three bold strips of the striking colour red marking three quarters down and a pleated skirt in a deep shade of burgundy that reaches the middle of my thighs. The reinforced structure of girls cooperating as a team to accomplish a goal is steady; there isn't a single jerk or movement to disrupt the shape we have created. After one last bark of our school football teams name in unison the practice comes to an end as night fades in. I glance up at the sky; the sun has completed its performance of the day and has vanished for the moon to arise. Little sparkles of the stars are almost visible on the inky canopy that is the night and a frosty temperature replaces the cordial heat of earlier.

"Do a back-flip Sierra!" Star encourages me from the wooden stands where she sits waiting with Michael and Jimmy. I cheekily stick out my tongue at them and peer down at the many short strands of fresh emerald grass below before snapping my eyes up to look my three friends whooping, urging me to follow out Stars instructions.

I prepare myself, nervous in a way since I haven't done this move in at least two months. But the hoots of inspiration from good friends boost my confidence; I swiftly flip myself off the top of the pyramid, feeling the air collide with my skin and land safely on my feet.

"See you later Sierra!" all of my teammates chrous in a farewell as I casually stroll over to Star, Michael and Jimmy who greet me with sprightly claps and cheers. I wave back to the girls; they disclose a matter they were discussing, turning around to wave back. I rotate my head back around to the view of my closest friends walking over to me with smiles sewed to their lips.

"Do you know what I love about you being a cheerleader?" Jimmy rhetorically asks as he shamelessly inspects the rest of the cheerleaders behind us "The fact I have a reason to watch hot girls in short skirts for hours without there being a problem" I knew he was going to say that without even having to think twice. Jimmy, River and Jude have been coming along to cheerleading practices since I can remember, with only one purpose in mind – to overlook the women.

Michael laughs buoyantly at his so-called joke, but really it is a truthful confession. Jimmy winks at me to hint this; I just smirk at him.

"You were great baby, honestly you –" Michael abruptly stops his words, a faint voice is calling my name.

"Sierra!" I hear Edgar yell in the distance as the voice becomes transparent. I spin my head around in the calls direction, Edgar and Alan are sprinting towards us; something is agitating them. I can tell by the extremely frightened expressions on their faces. What mischief have they involved themselves in this time?

"What are you guys doing here?" I question, jogging over to them "Where's Laddie?" Edgar and Alan are breathless as they lean on each other, desperate for air.

"Sierra... it's... it's..." Alan wheezes, he trades a look with Edgar, informing him he is the one who must break news to me.

"It's Laddie" Edgar admits, something has spooked him. I can tell by the slight quivering in his words. Instant panic and fear triggers all my emotions. My eyes widen with curiosity for him to go into more detail. What about Laddie? What has happened to him? Is it serious? "He took him... he's back" my eyes increase in size even more. Please don't let me hear that dreaded name, he can't have returned "David... David's back"

* * *

My heart rate throbs intensely in my chest, the beats per minute climaxing as if it's about to rip free. A sudden bloom of coldness invades my body. David is back. He has Laddie. I feel as light as a feather. I am getting weak with the phobia of my once brother figure coming back to haunt me. My legs feel like they are twigs, fragile and easy to snap into two. The whole world surrounding me swivels around like a roundabout going at the speed of light. I cover my mouth, attempting to mask my laboured breaths of distress. David can't be in Santa Carla, he can't have Laddie. How can David get pleasure from torturing our lives? Is it like a sickening game to him? Why does he have to do this? Everything was going so well, this was supposed to be a new start. Another chance of life, but he had to ruin that chance. Laddie enters my mind, without a word I dash across the field and into the desolate changing rooms. Hurried footsteps chase after me. I can just imagine a pair of those feet running belonging to David, nearing to get me tangled in his perilous claws.

"Sierra!" Star bellows "Sierra, what's happened?" I halt sharply. It's night. David could be waiting outside those doors for me. Ready to make that first kill - ready to steal me once again.

"Sierra, we're –" Alan starts off saying in an apologetic tone of voice, I twist around immediately to face him.

"What the hell happened? How could you let him take him?" I confront the two of them who look as nervous as first time performers who are about to go on stage to be greeted by thousands of eager fans. Edgar closes his eyes and lets out an elongated breath.

"We got him from Mrs Emerson's and brought him to the comic store" Edgar notifies me, my ears listen attentively, and as the others catch up, they do the same "Alan and I were teaching him how to play pinball when the phone rang. I answered it and the voice on the other end told me it was for Alan. The voice sounded familiar, so Alan came over. Before Alan could even say hello, the other person hung up. We turned around, we saw David's face and before we could even blink the kid and him were gone" It had to be David who called them. Then again, what if Dwayne had betrayed me and ricocheted right back to enlist himself in David's army? "We searched all over for him, I thought David could have came here, you know after the whole 'I will have you Sierra' thing"

"Laddie's gone?" Star gasps; her face almost instantly manifests concern "We need to go to the Boardwalk. Now" before I can say anything, Star drags me out the entrance in a hasty pace. We all clamour into the Chevy, Michael revs up the engine and without it even warming up properly, he speeds off. We need to find Laddie, before David does something to him. I tremble just to think what David has planned for Laddie's fate.

* * *

Star and I race into the Boardwalk with Michael, Jimmy and my brothers behind us. A group of rebellious teenage boys wolf whistle flirtatiously at the both of us. I take a peek behind my shoulder to see Michael glaring at every one of them, advising that they should keep their distance. Edgar and Alan hadn't uttered a single word on the way here, guilt is devouring them; I can't blame them for what has happened, but in a same sense I am fuming that they could naively turn their backs on a little child who is vulnerable to anyone, let alone David. Star and I make our separate ways as I descend into the active cluster of people, losing Michael in the process. My eyes frantically quest in the maze of humans for at least a glimpse of Laddie's cherubic eyes; where could David have taken him to? What if Dwayne was the culprit on the phone? Could the both of them be partners in crime?

I stagger a bit as one of the lively spirits brushes past me. Their appearance would have remained incognito if it wasn't for the waterfall of chocolate brown locks that graced my porcelain skin, smelling like that recognizable aroma of beer and cigarette smoke. Is it who I think it is? Or is it just my imagination? No, it couldn't be Dwayne. He wouldn't be so foolish to return back to Santa Carla. I told him never to come back. He wouldn't ignore my commands like that. I pursue after the mysterious figure who is far in front of me, making his way into the concert hall.

"Sierra!" I hear Michael call above the ruckus of babbling people. My mind is split into two, do I flee back into Michael's arms, avoiding any unwanted trouble or should I go against my desires and investigate further? What if it is Dwayne? Maybe, just maybe he is watching over me. I choose the second option, and barge through the strained crowd, embarking my way into the concert hall.

* * *

The concert hall is dark, only the strobes of neon laser lights reveal the dancing occupants. My eyes stalk the crowds desperately. Where is he? Does he have Laddie? Is it even Dwayne who I saw? The cascade of dark hair flowing down on a jet black leather jacket comes into my view again. Once again I hear Michael's voice say my name. I can't let Dwayne go, not without interrogating him on Laddie's whereabouts, and not without seeing if he is safe. The jostling parties of energetic humans thrust looks of annoyance at me as I gush past them. I am nearing who I suppose is Dwayne; I can already smell his familiarity embracing me.

"Dwayne!" I shout, he doesn't respond "Dwayne!" He sweeps around another corner. It feels like a game from my childhood that will go on for an eternity "Dwayne!" I repeat as I follow in his footsteps. My once widely spread grin disintegrates – nobody is there. No man with beautiful lengthy hair is by the deserted bar except that kittenish punk bartender who always attempts to flirt with me.

A sweet, warm breath plays with my earlobe, as much as I want to turn around to see who it is, I can't dare myself to do so. In a way I am scared to. The roaring sound of the bass numbs into the background. The only sounds I can hear are my bolting heartbeat and the exhaling from the unknown mouth. Is it Dwayne? Somehow, I hope it is. On the other hand, I am terrified if it is him.

"Sierra" it's Michael, I let out a sigh of relief and clasp my arms around him as soon as I rotate around, his arms also envelop around me "Hey" he whispers angling my head nimbly to look up at him, concern demonstrates over all of his features "What's up princess?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. Honest" I pin a tiny smile on my lips; Michael doesn't fall for my fake act.

"Sierra, don't lie to me. I know when you're lying. What's the matter baby? Something's upset you, and it isn't the fact Laddie's missing" I just shake my head, withholding from throwing myself around him and bursting into a heap of forlornness and keep that artificial smile as a part of my veil to shield my true feelings. I can't help but miss Dwayne, after he kissed me something sparked like an unexpected firework. Something that I have never felt for him before came to life. I love Michael, but there is a little fragment of love there for Dwayne. I will never fully understand why it was only when Dwayne and I combined together, that something hidden slowly started to become apparent. When I thought I saw Dwayne, was it really just my imagination distorting reality?

"I'm not lying to you Michael, I'm ok" he isn't convinced "Really!" Michael just shakes his head; he knows I'm being untruthful. I can't tell him about that unimportant little feeling of love I have for Dwayne, not without telling him I also let him escape. I love Michael, not Dwayne. I just need to stop all those emotions that urge me to find Dwayne, if I do this then I can live my life with Michael.

"Fine. Whatever you say" he snaps quietly without any anger but his frustration is clear; as my crystal blue eyes stare into his fierce eyes that play a ferocious ballad, he discovers that I can't tell him what is really bothering me and his more loving side comes back into the spotlight as he wraps an arm around my waist caringly "Come on baby, let's go back to the others" Michael chaperons me out of the concert hall where everyone's hearts pumped in one great orchestra. One of those hearts could be Dwayne's. I shall never know the identity of who really glided past me.

* * *

The twinkling stars appear like rare diamonds tonight, the velvet black sky makes them seem even more bewitching than usual. The white crumbled tissues, damp from saddened drops of water are condemned in my fist as there is a ceaseless trail of teardrops plunging down my cheeks. Why did David have to take another thing dear to me? I know all the areas of this town like they are tattooed on the back of my hand, yet it seems like I am new to it all. There are so many places Laddie could be but he might as well be invisible the way we're scouring around for him.

Why am I suddenly having the same feelings for Dwayne as he had for me? Could he still have them? The enchanting stars, I once wished to fly up to them. For a little while I stayed there, and then Marko and Paul took me away from them. Once Michael had driven me back here, I immediately got changed into my nightwear t-shirt Dwayne had bought for me. I'm wearing the necklace Michael had presented me with as well, two items with so much meaning on me. I'm finally alone now, just me and my thoughts as I sit on the oak bench on my porch that overlooks the lit up street. The front door screeches open; I would stop weeping and portray a jubilant character who hasn't got any worries, who hasn't got memories of four men who they adored reviling their mind, and who hasn't got a flame of love arising from the ashes for one of those men who felt the same way. But I can't, the sadness overwhelming me is too strong.

Dad sits down next to me, his eyes looking directly into mine with the look of a father worried about his daughter embodying them. He doesn't smell like his usual self with the essences of pot and sex vanishing from his persona completely.

"Whenever I get upset, I come out here too" he informs me as I gaze in awe at him, I've never seen this side to him – ever "It clears my mind, makes me feel at ease" he looks over and seriously stares at me "I heard you crying this morning; wanna tell me what's up?" I feel slightly disturbed that this seemingly brand new side to him has appeared to me yet ecstatic that our relationship is healing after so many battles. He rubs my trail of marked tears "I'm not the father you think I am Sierra, you're my little girl. No father wants to see their little girl get hurt"

My bleak mood is piling up and up until I can't restrain it any longer. I fling my arms around him and clutch him to me, allowing cries of sorrow to break free.

"It's alright my little princess, let it out" he soothes me "Let it all out" I do as he says, sobbing with my heart content, the heart that has been broken so many times within this short period.

"I do-don't know, wha-what I can do any-anymore" I wail between tense breaths, Dad lifts my chin to face him.

"You wanna tell me whats going on?" he knows, he just wants confirmation.

"Those fucking vampires really know how to toy with me" surprisingly a corner of his mouth elevates slightly as if my recognition of David and the others has made him happy.

"Edgar and Alan told me what happened. There's something else you need to tell me though Sierra, a certain vampire being alive perhaps?"

"David he –"

"I meant Dwayne" Dad interrupts me. My mouth is agape, how did he know? Did Edgar and Alan tell him?

"How did you –" How does he know of Dwayne's true state? Dad cuts my words off again, chuckling softly to himself.

"You forget I use to be a vampire slayer myself, I know what every vampire looks like in this town! Your Grandpa taught me just like I taught Edgar and Alan. Before David and the other vamps came to Santa Carla there used to be a whole different crowd of vampires and me and your Grandpa hunted 'em down and staked 'em. You know why I taught your brothers?" I shake my head, unsure of the answer "It was your Grandpa's last wish right before he died. I remember that night very clearly; we were in this alleyway, it was dark and we thought it'd be the perfect place for vampires. We were right. One of the vampires came out of nowhere and launched at me. If it wasn't for your Grandpa helping me, I wouldn't be here today. It ended in him not being here today though; the vamp grabbed his stake and drove it right through his stomach. He said to me '_Judd I want to keep this town safe, teach my grandbabies what I've taught you. Create the next generation of vampire slayers' _and then he took his last breath and went. I was only seventeen, your age. It's such a frail age to be hurt at, I tried so hard to prevent it from happening to you" I always wondered why I had never met my Grandpa, my mom told me a long time ago when I was a child that he was living someplace in Nevada. I asked her every day why I couldn't visit him; Mom just bluntly stated '_He doesn't want us'. _Now I know why I couldn't travel to Nevada, he was never there.

"Woah... that was heavy. Anyway, you need to get yourself to sleep, you have school in the morning and I need something to chill me out" that father I had captivated all my attention onto hastily faded away with those last few words. But we had something I thought we wouldn't ever have together – a father and daughter bond. I'm not going to school tomorrow though, not when my baby boy is in the care of a complete maniac whose only desires are to feed off of innocent humans and snatch me from the heavens of life. I follow him inside the house, also hoping that I will never cross pathways with Dwayne again. I need him out of my life, out of my mind. If he doesn't remove himself, I'll never be at peace.

* * *

**Thanks for reading guys! And here's a reply to the reviews: **

**booklover457- Thank you for the idea! I'm liking it! :D **

**SkittleMachine- Thank you so much! And here's your update! :) **

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan - Hehee thank you for the welcome! I'm glad you like it. You will have to wait and see about Dwayne :3 (yeah, I've kinda got a crush on him as well :') ) **

**Keep the reviews coming guys, they inspire me and I enjoy reading your opinions :D **


	4. Dying Love

_The sound of rumbling motorbike engines swirl around my ears, I don't know where I am. I can't see where I am; nothing but darkness is absorbed into this unknown void like a haunting black blanket intending to suffocate me. A tiny speck of light declares itself, two silhouettes of mysterious figures appear. The darkness is so strenuous it even covers them. The blinding light soon defeats the null world as those velvet covers are overthrown, revealing the identities of the once anonymous figures. Their stomach length blonde locks and sassy grins are undeniable – Marko and Paul. I peer around my surroundings; I'm on the school field where I practice cheerleading. It seems greener than usual, and a lot more vibrant. A wide smile uplifts itself on my lips as I leap up from my knees to hug them both closely to me. _

_"What are you guys doing here?" I gasp happily; my smile still doesn't remove itself. How can it when Marko and Paul are here? Marko captures me in his arms and embraces me from behind._

_"We thought we'd pay you a visit!" Marko informs me, situating me on the front of his motorbike. I do miss those midnight motorbikes._

_"Yeah, we kinda missed you" Paul contributes, sauntering over to join us "Marko help me on this thing!" Marko assists Paul onto the back of the roaring bike; Paul gives Marko an urging look as if to get him to tell me something. Marko bites his lip before turning back in my direction._

_"So... erm. Well Sierra... we wanted to say that uh... Jesus Christ, Paul you can do this little talk, I'm not too good with these kind of things" he grumbles, Paul exhales deeply in annoyance and rolls his eyes._

_"This is why you couldn't get a girl; you never talked about this kind of stuff with them!" Paul sighs. The two of them trail on with reasons for and against why Marko could never get a girlfriend, with me just idly watching the whole scene. What did they want to talk about? Was it serious? _

_"So!" I shout above their petty argument, kidnapping both of their attention spans as they speedily cut of their discussion that involves Marko's previous love life "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Marko flashes Paul a dreading glance "Paul?" I know for a fact Marko despises any conversations that involve any girl issues._

_"Yeah go on Paul, tell her" Marko teases; Paul retaliates with a vivacious slap around his head. Marko without a single thought smoothens down his mat of curls as if they were his most prized trait._

_"We've been keeping an eye on you Sierra, you know as good friends do" Paul stops for a few seconds to sort out Marko's hair and kisses his head better, I can't help but let out a infant-like giggle "You have a bit of a thing for Dwayne don't you?" My eyes shoot down to the grass-masked ground in shame, I love Michael not Dwayne. How could I even have such feelings for Dwayne? "I'll take that as a yes" Paul continues, tilting my head back up to face his misty eyes "Don't be ashamed of it Sierra, you can't help the way you feel for him" _

_Marko takes in a gulp of air, he is finally ready to come out of his awkward silence "Just like how you feel for Michael, you love him and he loves –" _

_Suddenly, another motorbike engine flares up. We all snap around in unison, concern irritates Paul and Marko's eyes. Marko forces my head around to look at him. _

_"Sierra, run for your life"_

* * *

My eyes unpeel themselves; I have an indistinct view of the world I live in as they adjust themselves to the sudden natural light. A fuzzy painting of blonde hair and a sun-kissed face comes into my field of vision.

"Marko?" I murmur, rubbing my eyes to make everything as clear as glass. Another face is drawn; a short and voluminous hairstyle of dark brown and a grey outfit unites with who I guess is Marko. But Marko's dead, so who is it?

"What... the hell... are you talking about?" its Edgar voice, to my demise Marko hasn't backfired from his safe haven in the clouds. My view has reinforced as I can acutely see Edgar and Alan's faces staring at me with confusion "Who's Marko?" he then goes on to question me as if it is something needing immediate attention. I groan in response. It's too early for interrogation from the artful Frog Brothers.

"The vamp, you know the one you killed" Alan briefs him, the both of them look furious "Why are you comparing us to vampires Sierra?"

"Just a dream" I yawn incoherently, rolling back onto my side where I allow my eyes to slide to a close. If only I could return back to that dream. Marko and Paul would welcome me in a friendly hug and I could feel peaceful; I can't though, not until tonight "Where's Star?"

"On the couch, she came in at about four in the morning and fell asleep" Edgar tells me. I dart out of bed, chucking the multicoloured layers of blankets off of me and dismissing the thoughts of Marko and Paul being alive.

I caper over Star's mattress where she usually rests her head at night and sprint out of the room like an athlete competing in a marathon. In the cluttered hallway, I can hear the muffled erotic moans from my parent's room. Edgar and Alan trip over each other as they crash into my back, almost knocking me off of my feet "I wish those guys would get sound proof walls" Edgar groans in repulsion, we all look at each other with the same expression of disgust carved into our faces.

* * *

Then I remember Star, the noises of my parents steamy relationship tarnishes away. I dash down the creaky wooden stairs, on the battered couch is Star fidgeting in a restless nightmare. I drop by her side and shake her powerfully. If only she could awaken from her troubles.

"Laddie" she mutters, worry tortures her voice "Laddie... where are you?" I wish I could answer her question; it breaks my heart that I don't have the answers. Star's eyes snap open, panic infuriates them "Laddie!" she screams out. As tears gush down her eyes, I immediately take her in for a consoling embrace "Sierra, where's Laddie?" those screams quickly turn into wails. With every single teardrop that strolls down her cheek, a part of me falters into upset. How could David take Laddie from us? He is just a little boy, one of the very few souls David hasn't corrupted with his odious lies and false promises.

"We'll get him back Star, Laddie will be back with us soon" I soothe her with reassuring whispers. I'm not going to rest until Laddie is safely back in our protective arms. With David, he can never be guarded from the harm that Santa Carla offers or the danger David possesses himself. The sooner Laddie is with us again, the better.

"I want my baby back" she weeps, I want my baby boy to return to us as well. I miss him so much, it's tearing me apart inside knowing he is with David. It hurts so much it feels like Laddie's absence is killing me. All I want to do is believe that Laddie is free from any danger. But, I have knowledge he is with David, he can never be liberated from jeopardy with that man, in any shape or form – he is treacherous. The only things I can do to alleviate Star's pain is to whisper calming words in her ear and hold back my own tears.

"I want him back too, and we will. I swear to God we will, I promise you Star. I promise we'll get him back" a car horn audibly sounds, Michael's here. I'm not going to school today if it means having the slightest chance of finding Laddie. Would Delilah be with him? Does David have Delilah as well? How many more people does David want to rob me of?

Another long honk from the Chevy is delivered; I walk over to the window and carefully pull the lime green curtains back to create a microscopic gap that I can peer through. At the side of the road are Michael and Sam in their cream car awaiting our arrival. Michael slams the car door behind him, he appears confounded to why we haven't departed out of the house yet. Sam's eyes stalk his brothers' footsteps, also incredibly bewildered.

"Mike! Where're you going?" Sam probes, Michael doesn't even look back at him. He's coming over to the house!

"Just stay there Sammy" Michael commands "I'll be back in a minute"

"Or a few hours if your wish comes true!" Sam jokes, he still hasn't forgotten about that embarrassing situation where the full details mine and Michael's night together were revealed. Only seconds after he says that, the doorbell rings.

* * *

As I deliberately walk at a reluctant pace to the front door, I prepare myself to at least appear a little decent. I grab an ivory silk shawl and wrap it around my midsection in an attempt to cover my toned legs and ruffle my dark brown hair. I turn my head around just before I open the door; Star catches my eye and pretends to be asleep, hiding her face completely under the blankets provided for her. My hand rotates around the rusty doorknob to open the door, a tenacious breeze wafts past that causes me to shiver. Unfortunately, the thin material of the shawl has no protection to my bodies' heat. Michael is located in front of me in an oatmeal coloured t-shirt that is partly hidden by a jet black leather jacket and ripped jeans. His loose milky ringlets fall perfectly on the very top of his shoulders and he has an amiable smile to greet me. Those lips soon meet mine in a brisk peck; I could still feel his love for me though.

"Why aren't you ready baby?" he inquires, reviewing my nightwear that consists of just a band t-shirt and what is shown of my sun kissed legs. My mouth is ajar so I can reply back to him but I'm utterly speechless, why can't I say anything?

"Sierra isn't coming in today, neither is Star" Edgar and Alan quickly come to the rescue, thrusting themselves in front of me.

"Yeah, you know they're still kinda...erm... on their period" Alan rambles on, out of all the excuses in the book he had to use that one! Michael just delivers me a suspicious look. Edgar and Alan nudge my hips daintily, ordering me to contribute to their excuse. My mind is blank, like every single reason I could say has been erased. Michael's mouth is agape, ready with some sort of protest or question to why my brothers are aiding me out of a sticky situation.

"Michael! Christ Mike, if you're not too busy making out with Sierra could we go?" Sam barks, yet another hero has come to save me. Michael strikes me with an infuriated look; it is obvious he knows Edgar and Alan are lying. Before they can get me into anymore dilemmas, Edgar and Alan flee to the refuge of the spare backseats of the Chevy. My eyes drift from my brothers escaping to Michael who still looks as annoyed as a rattlesnake when provoked. I genially smile at him to ease off some of his anger.

"I'll talk with you later" Michael hisses, giving me another glance of pure enragement before marching off to the car. My smile bitterly fades away as I watch Michael speed off; he didn't even say goodbye. All he did was turn his back coldly on me and never looked back like I would morph him into stone if he dared to. I really thought Michael could have been the one for me, but now all I can think is that our time together is going to halt to an end very soon.

"Sierra, are you ok?" Star sympathetically asks with a soft voice, she knows what took place between Michael and I just then and that she can't prevent what I believe will happen from commencing.

"Yeah" I sigh, quietly closing the door; I twirl around, Star has come out of her misleading slumber with the blankets still enclosed around her volumed corkscrew curls "Come on, we need to find Laddie" Hopefully we can find Delilah along our travels. I swear if David has even laid one single fingertip on either Laddie or Delilah then he won't even know who the kind Sierra Frog he met is. He will see a totally different side to me, the side he never touched.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :D **

**N3ko8: Naww its ok, hope you enjoy it *huggles back to you as well* :D **

**SkittleMachine: Glad you enjoyed it! Heres your update and I hope you like this chapter as well! :) **

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: Thank you! Ooh I agree with you about Dwayne, but did he help David or not? Heres the update and I hope you enjoy it! :D **


	5. Fingerprints of The Sky

Flicking through the photo albums from memories I have collected throughout my time on this dark earth that sometimes allows happiness to enter my life, I can't help but look at her and think how beautiful she was. Such an exquisite and lively girl whose dreams of being that way forever had been shattered when she was stolen by someone I thought I admired, who I thought was my saviour of the night. The photo of me when I was at least fourteen playing around in the shaven ice snow with a honey blonde haired Delilah is held firmly in between my thumb and index finger. My mind traces back to that very moment where the image was captured as a piece of evidence for the history of my life...

* * *

_The feather like flakes plunged down from the musty grey sky, forming a beautiful and pure blanket of rich snow. With a freezing ball of soft ice cupped in my hand, my benumbed feet crept towards my target sneakily like a ninja on an important mission. The veil of sparkling diamonds cracked with each footstep I took, crunching as I did so. My goal immediately spun around and a sphere of crisp snow slapped my royal blue wool cardigan. Giggling hysterically from both girls, the battle initiated as I chucked my snowball at her. I desperately gathered more ammunition from the ground, there was plenty of it and more was arriving for me!_

_"I surrender!" she squealed, holding her hands up in defeat, I had won! "I do declare that Sierra Frog has overthrown her older and cooler sister Delilah Frog from her title of 'Queen of The Snowball Fights!" I whooped joyously and ran over cautiously to her, trying not to slide over on a patch of slippery ice. Delilah caught me in her arms, her honey coloured locks fell onto my thick deep cocoa strands, making its darkness stand out clearly._

_"Why thank you, ex-Queen Delilah!" I boasted jokingly, emphasising the 'ex-Queen' part. I was so upbeat and overjoyed that Delilah and I were spending yet another day together; I loved having quality time with her "Are you going out tonight Delilah? Star's sleeping over tonight so I was hoping we could –" _

_"Yeah I'm out tonight and no, you and Star aren't coming with me" she hastily informed me, I was banned from hanging out with Delilah and her friends. Star was already good friends with them, so I never understood why I wasn't permitted to join their club._

_"Don't be uncool! I wanna meet your friends, they sound awesome!" I protested, all Delilah did was laugh though and hugged me from the side._

_"They are awesome Sierra but you're too young! When you finish high school you can meet them!" I pouted at her, inexpressively begging to go out with her._

_"But that's like four years away! And hey, why can't that same rule apply to you? Just 'cause you've only got until summer doesn't mean you shouldn't practice what you preach!" Delilah continued to chuckle at my attempts, I wasn't going to win this one. _

_"Nice try little sis! But as much as I love these guys, I don't want you hanging out with them until you're a bit older" I opened my mouth to retaliate to her unfair rules even further but another voice spoke in place of mine._

_"Oh shit... I didn't mean to take a picture of you two. Damn it... my bad" Dad grumbled, Delilah rolled her eyes in annoyance. As much as she adored having her photo taken like her famous idols, she hated it when our father was the one holding the camera. In fact, she despised anything my father did!_

_"This is why you've gotta lay off the pot!" she snapped furiously, marching back into the house after snatching the camera from my Dad who was cackling hysterically. I followed her into the warm shelter I called a house, just like I always did. _

* * *

I giggle amusedly to myself, it was such a magnificent day and I would do anything to go back there – anything to be with Delilah again. I may be seventeen years old, but at times I still feel like I need that guardian angel only an older sibling can portray the role of. That guardian angel pinches all the miseries in my life away and replaces them with never-ending jokes that would lead onto uncontrollable laughter and hugs that show a one of a kind love only an older sister can express. Just to think that summer when Delilah should have been graduating, instead of celebrating with her friends, she was heisted from all of her freedom. Only a matter of months after that event took place, I was reinstating her position in her execrable capturers' gang. If only I knew what he had in store for me, if only I knew what he had organized for Delilah. There is a hushed rattle at my door; I twirl my head around to see Star in the doors magnolia frame smiling at me.

"Are you ready to go?" Star gently asks, her voice quakes slightly from all the crying she had done previously. Crimson blotchy rings surround her eyes; the warm beige foundation makes them more subtle and not so noticeable.

"Yeah" I quip, stuffing the photograph into one of the two pockets on my pure black leather pants "Come on, let's go" I haul myself up from the edge of my bed that is littered with blankets, pillows and magazines consumed with juicy gossip. Star politely allows me to go first out of the door.

* * *

I quickly embark down the wooden stairs where my feet create a noisy rebound of their steps.

"Shhh!" Star hisses as if walking down the stairs is illegal, I turn my head lazily around and raise an eyebrow at Star who is pressing a finger to her lips in panic "Do you want your parents to catch us?" I scoff at her in disbelief, considering she has been one of my closest friends since kindergarten I have kept her slightly unexposed to the lives my parents truly lead.

"Oh please Star! If they catch us then they'll most likely think we're fairies or something" I educate her; my fact of life still doesn't ward off her stresses.

"But what if –"I hate those kinds of questions. Then again, that could be classed as hypocritical since I think of them all the time when relating to certain subjects. The main question I have been asking myself within the time period since I last saw Dwayne is – 'What if I had killed him?' What if I had given into his wishes and killed him? Would he still be on my mind? Would have those feelings for him that I currently have now, died along with him? I will never know; I couldn't have killed Dwayne. Not even the strongest will in the world would grant me to murder him. Some force of attraction wouldn't let me.

"Star, trust me: they are way too high to give a damn about anything. That includes us being off school" Stars face composes itself, she nods to show her understanding that she believes in me "Right come on, we should go"

I continue making my way down the stairs with Star pursuing after me, still warily keeping her pace slow and mute. I reach the front door and outstretch my hand to twist the doorknob, footsteps sprinting across the living room in an entirely different direction to where they are supposed to be heading divert my attention from doing so.

"Sierra, wait!" Star crouches down and picks up a podgy, biscuit-coloured teddy bear that belongs to Laddie. The huggable bear has an elongated black stitched on smile and plumped up cheeks to make it appear as happy as possible; I can't help but think of Laddie and how he is always a little ray of sunshine "Can we bring this along?"

"Of course, Laddie'll be wanting it when we find him" Laddie has never been parted from his teddy, I know for a fact he is going to be missing it dearly "Come on Star, we've gotta go" I wait for Star who solemnly meanders over to me with a numb face, like all of the world she has been building up has suddenly collapsed around her. Hesitant tears begin to arrange themselves in her intense brown eyes, immediately I envelop her in a solacing embrace."We'll get him back, I promise" I vow in a tranquil tone of voice, stroking her hair of many compact loops "Laddie will be with us soon" my voice is still gentle, but shudders from the war I am having with my tears. I have to be strong, I can't weaken myself. If I do that then David has truly won. I can't let him win, not this time. So many times he has won some kind of softened part of me that fell powerless just for him. Not anymore, I won't allow him to defeat me anymore – for everyone's sakes.

"I know where Delilah might be" Star reveals, I lift my head up slowly to face her, intrigued to know where this mysterious location may be "I remember just a few days after she went missing, I saw her outside the Boardwalk going to a concert with one of the guys. I think it was David; I tried running after her but David apparently didn't want me getting cold and took me back into the Boardwalk. I never saw her again after that" David did have her; I knew that lowlife scum of a vampire had kidnapped her from me. I just knew it. Then all of a sudden, I remember outside the Boardwalk and that one person who was always standing there, masking their face with a hood and pitch black sunglasses.

"Delilah's the girl who was always watching me outside the Boardwalk. Isn't she Star?" I inquire, Star replies with a shamed nod; yet I'm not angry with her in any way. In fact, I feel quite subdue that I have confirmation that my big sister was watching over me; Delilah got to see me grow up from a little fourteen year old who had no grasp of the horrors the world could bring, into a graceful woman. But, she also observed me disintegrating into her masters' trap. If she cared as much as she claimed to, why didn't she try to prevent any of it? Knowing David and of his true evil and twisted mind, he most likely prohibited Delilah and Star from confessing any of his dark secrets.

"I should have told you, all these years you believed she was dead and I knew the truth" Star weeps, I can't help but feel sympathetic towards her; Star would never do anything to hurt me, it was that loathsome bloodsucker who constrained her from saying anything "I'm so sorry Sierra" A surge of guilt rushes over me, I lied about Dwayne being dead. He was like a brother to Star, and she believes he perished that night – all because of me.

* * *

"Star, I need to tell you something" I murmur, Stars eyes promptly snap up at me; I take in a deep breath, concocting up the courage to finally admit my own cryptic secret "I didn't kill Dwayne" Stars eyes widen in astonishment and I can almost feel her heart drum faster than its usual speed.

"Wh-what?" she splutters "You-you didn't kill him?" I shake my head, consenting a tear to cascade down my cheek.

"No, I didn't. I couldn't Star, I just couldn't" I sob, Star just stares at me in wonder "I let him go, he's alive" to my surprise Star drags me in for a hug, hushing me softly "He-he kissed me and I just couldn't do it!" Star plants soothing kisses on my head in an attempt to stop my tears from fleeing.

"I'm not angry at you Sierra, I'm proud of you" what is there to be proud of? I resigned myself to who was supposed to be my enemy and she is proud of it? "Dwayne wouldn't of hurt you, he loved you way too much. Much more than what you realise" I'm not blind to the fact Dwayne loved me, he said so himself but I will never have the knowledge of how much of his heart is really dedicated to me "Dwayne thought you were one of the most beautiful women alive and he tried so hard to stop David from harming you. I'll always remember the night he told me he loved you; me, Laddie and Dwayne were sitting down in front of the fire roasting marshmallows and he was watching you dance with Paul" even before I accepted for him to escape from his traumatic life he was protecting me, he really did love me "I asked him why he always looks at you and he didn't tell me to start with but after you left that's when he told me he loved you"

The humid sensation in my cheeks tells me I'm blushing and that fluttering feeling in my stomach won't cease to exist. That bundle of complimenting emotions are soon dashed by the thought of everyone else discovering Dwayne's valid state.

"Don't tell my brothers or Michael, please Star, they can't know" I plead; I can't even visualize what their reactions would be, I can predict that it would be one of extreme anger though.

"Of course I'm not gonna tell them, but if they ever see him in Santa Carla then we've both got some explaining to do!" I highly doubt Dwayne would come across Michael or my brothers, I told him never to come back to this city and if Dwayne really does love me, then he will respect my wishes to keep him safe "I'm actually kinda happy he's alive" smiles creep up onto our lips, we are both happy Dwayne is alive and not in that sky encrusted with diamonds "We should really go now, come on lets go get our baby boy back" and with that, Star and I depart out of the front door; next time we go through that door together, I'm determined Laddie will be joining us.

* * *

**Thank you for all the reviews guys, I really appreciate them! Keep them coming, it gives me inspiration! **

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: Hahaa, I agree with you! Michael was being quite unreasonable to Sierra, then again Edgar and Alan did make it kinda obvious that they were lying:') But still, I agree he shouldn't have spoke to Sierra like that. Heres your update and I hope you enjoy! **

**SkittleMachine: Marko and Paul are awesome XD I'm glad you loved it and heres your update, enjoy! **

**LovingTLB: You'll have to wait and see who was on the motorbike! Hahaa, I couldn't resist writing that bit for Edgar and Alan, it was just something I thought they would say :') yeah... Michael isn't too happy with Sierra, I love how you refer back to Laddie! Heres your update and hope you enjoy! **


	6. Let Me Blossom

With most of the residents who inhabit Santa Carla either at school or at some sort of workplace, I drive at an electric speed down the practically deserted road with only a few cars and the rows of zesty coloured shops passing us by. The light air from the fully open window on Stars side of car invites itself to drift around the area of the front seats constructed together by navy blue fabric that is so scratchy that it might as well be infested with fleas. Star and I sit in silence with only the howling of the wind being present, I can tell she is recollecting her thoughts. If I didn't have the evolving road with its many twists and turns to concentrate on, I would be doing the exact same thing after all the revelations today. However, I can't help myself but think about Dwayne; aspiring to forget about him is harder than I thought it was going to be. I have given my heart that is engrossed with love to Michael, but a fragment of that love is for Dwayne.

Why did he have to kiss me? Why did I let him? There was something about Dwayne's enticing demeanour and his virtuous words to me that night that bewitched me, something that he never casted over me before was brought to life and it forced me to feel differently about him. It made me exchange that veiled fraction of love with him. I love Michael so much; I can't believe that I'm having feelings for another man! Nothing but regret deluges every emotion I have, how could I? Michael has done so much for me, I love him. During the showdown between the three people who were in desperate need to become human again and the threatening vampires, Michael showed me that he was more than willing to give his life up for me – and this is how I repay him. I award him with lies to what really ails me and secrets of his opponent for my hearts' true state.

* * *

"Sierra!" Star screeches, darting her arm outwards and pointing at something in front of us. I depart from my guilt ridden thoughts and follow along her tanned arm to where she is frantically gesturing to. I immediately pound the breaks! A shocked middle-aged woman stands in the middle of the road staring at Star and I with her mouth wide enough to catch flies in. Star and I pant in alarm with both of our adrenaline levels going into overdrive. Our chests heave rapidly in sync, Star looks over at me with bewilderment corroding her face. The colour from her face decreases heedlessly and every feature on it has frozen like a statue.

"What?" I rasp, clutching onto my chest in an attempt to normalize my breathing rate. Star knits her brow in frustration and folds her arms to exhibit it.

"What do you mean 'what'? Sierra you could have killed that woman!" she exclaims, thrusting her arm in the direction where the woman paralyzed with fright once stood "Now you're gonna tell me whats wrong with you right now! Because I don't believe for one second you've told me everything!" Why is it I'm so bad at burying away my secrets? Is it really that wrong that I don't want to hurt people with them? If Michael found out about Dwayne, he would be heartbroken. I should have never allowed Dwayne to kiss me – or to love me.

"Nothing" I murmur, everyone can see beyond my false truths, including Star. I step on the accelerator again to carry on our journey. Star steals the car wheel away from me, riskily swerving us to the side of the road; fellow drivers sound their horns to show their displeasure "What the fuck Star? You don't even have a driving license! Do you know how much trouble we could –"

"Nothing's wrong huh?" Star interrupts, her eyes glare at me in a silent interrogation "I'm waiting Sierra" I can almost hear time ticking away as I stare at her; I sigh deeply and reach for the steering wheel, removing my sight from her questioning eyes. I want to confine in her about every single thing, but I can't. I can't bring myself to do it. Even if I did confess to her how I feel for Dwayne, nothing would be resolved from it.

"Just forget it" I mutter, my foot gets closer to the accelerator pedal again.

"It's about Dwayne isn't it?" with that, the once invisible tears become apparent as I break down into a heap of dejection. Instantly Star shuffles forward in her seat to stroke my back calmingly; I can't help the way I feel, Paul told me that. But Marko also said Michael loves me, and I love him. Why do I have to be so torn between two people who mean the world to me? "Hey" she whispers softly "Baby, what is it? Tell what's wrong Sierra, please I hate seeing you like this" I aimlessly move my tear polluted eyes to peer up at her; she covers her mouth with her groomed fingers and lets out a quiet gasp. From just one glance, she has discovered every last detail about how that kiss from Dwayne really sparked an unknown emotion. "You love him too, don't you?" I nod in disgrace, spluttering out more wails with Star hauling me into a soothing embrace. I fling my arms around her neck in hope that I will find some comfort; I just want to see Michael. That's all I want. All I desire to do is to gaze up from Stars shoulder and view Michael's serene blue eyes meeting mine. I can't though, and I believe that if things continue the way they are, what with all the arguments and hidden lies I'm keeping from him – I won't be able to see them ever again.

"I love Michael though" I wail into her shoulder, allowing many teardrops to tumble down onto her lukewarm, bare skin. To my surprise, Star begins to giggle contentedly; what is so funny about adoring Michael?

"Sierra, someone would have to be a fool not to see that!" Star laughs wiping away my forlorn beads of salty water "You're crazy about Michael and he's the same with you!" Then why is he acting as if I am the worst thing his life could present him with? When Michael spat those hurtful words today just before isolating himself from me, I could feel the ignition of our love for each other becoming deceased.

"I really don't believe that he is" I admit, my gut sinks just at the thought of losing Michael.

"Listen Sierra, Michael just doesn't want you being upset, like me. That's why he acted so angry this morning. Not because he hates you or doesn't love you anymore, he just hates the idea that his girl's sad and he can't do anything about it because you won't tell him" I can't inform him why I am agitated by upset though, not without my blue feelings backfiring onto him; I don't want to hurt my knight in shining armour "Sierra as much as I hate to say it, we're never gonna see Dwayne again" I feel as if that Dwayne's permanent abandonment from our lives is all at my account. I commanded him never to return back to Santa Carla, supplying him with the additional blackmail to do it for me.

Star gingerly tilts my chin to face her, a beaming smile surfaces her lips. It somehow creates a more delightful atmosphere over my body. "All you need are memories. That's what I've got! Now, I wanna see you smile. You don't look as pretty with that frown" immediately I burst out into hysterical laughter as Star puts on a childish voice and pins up my lips into a playful smile with her thumbs "That's the Sierra I wanna see from now on! Come on, I wanna get Laddie back" I press the button that generates a booming sound of a guitar in the middle of its well-played solo. Star and I whoop together, enjoying the song as my foot pelts the accelerator pedal causing us to speed off to the destination where hopefully, we shall be reunited with Laddie.

* * *

I pull up by the side of the Boardwalk where life crawls with lively souls at night. In the day however, it might as well be a ghost town compared to its popularity when under the black sky. After having a lengthy debate with Star to where we should check out first, we came to the conclusion that Laddie might not be a half-vampire yet and could have escaped the claws of David to arrive to his protected haven of arcade games and comics. If we didn't discover him here, then we would search the cave. I distrust that Delilah will be here, if David could turn Michael into a half-vampire within a few hours of meeting him then the possibility of Delilah being one of them is incredibly high considering she has been absent from my life since I was fourteen. I still hope that she isn't, David knew me for three years before turning me into an incomplete monster like him; there is a chance that she is human. Star and I saunter into the disregarded Boardwalk, freely making our way through the large gaps of space over to the comic store my family owns. As we get closer, I realise there is a man with a long bushy beard and circular glasses at the counter. It's my dad! I block Star from entering the store where she would find herself enclosed with trouble.

"What's the problem? It's only your dad! What happened to 'he's so high he's gonna think we're fairies'?" she snaps, attempting to access the deadly trap once again. I hastily yank her back to my side by grabbing onto a part of her white vest "Ouch! That hurt!"

"He doesn't look high enough" I inform her, understanding soon dawns on her features "I've got some sunglasses I can use, you stay here" I search through my pockets for the pair of sunglasses I once used as a accessory for the former Daytime Sierra's personality. Daytime Sierra doesn't bother me anymore; the sun and I are now comrades to defeating the evil in the world. I casually stroll into my family heirloom that I will inherit when the generation beforehand passes away, trying not to expose my true identity. I glance back to where Star and I were hiding, she is out of sight. As I approach the counter where strands of raw tobacco spread out along the white surface and various comic books are scattered, Dad looks up from reading a horror comic on how to ambush vampires. Like father, like son.

"Hey, can I help you?" he asks, carelessly flashing me a crescent grin before lighting up a cigarette.

"Yeah um... I –"

"What are you doing out of school Sierra?" he questions, sounding as if the fact his daughter is skipping school doesn't faze him in the slightest. I scarcely part my lips, astounded that he actually recognizes my voice.

"How did you..." I begin; Dad stops me abruptly in my tracks when he snorts at me in disbelief.

"I'm not high all the time Sierra!" he is right – just most of the time "Now I think you've got some explaining to do" I sigh deeply in vexation, out of all the times of my father noticing me he had to choose this precise moment to do so!

"Remember the little boy with light brown hair and who's always carrying a teddy around with him?" I'd be surprised if he even acknowledged Laddie's existence.

"Oh yeah, the cute kid who I was telling a bedtime story to a couple of nights ago" this can't be my dad, my dad doesn't create wild adventure stories for young children; then again, this was the man who sat down and consoled me during my time of need last night "What about him?"

"David took him from here yesterday. Edgar and Alan were babysitting him and the phone rang. They turned their back for a few seconds and he was gone" It takes him a couple of seconds to adapt to what new event has come into his life.

"How're you so sure it was David? Santa Carla's one messed up place, anyone could have took him"

"They saw him" those platinum blonde locks are undeniable to anyone, especially to those who know the reputation David has as being the handsome devil in disguise.

"That son-of-a-bitch, garlic hating, bad-breathed bloodsucker" Dad curses, slamming the vampire guidebook down on the table "And you're out looking for him?" I answer him with a nod, what else does he expect me to do? "Shit Sierra, that's crazy! You need a vampire slayer, and as your father I think I'd be suited for the role!" For once in his whole entire life my father, the man who is meant to stalk every step I take in case of any perils that cross my pathway, is finally taking action to protect his youngest daughter "Petal! Take over for a second, I'm getting some more stuff!" I assume by 'stuff' he means pot.

My dad stands motionless, listening attentively for my mother's reply as do I.

"About goddamn time! I'm running out!" Mom crudely hollers a few seconds later from the room where only staff are permitted to enter.

"That excuse works every time!" he sniggers like a rebellious child who is lying to his parents. As fast as a lightning bolt, Dad leaps coolly over the desk and swiftly lands on his feet "God, I'm feeling young today" he sighs with a smirk pencilled on his face "You got the car?" I nod again, taken aback by this sudden assistance "Good, I've got the stakes under the backseats" Dad then notifies, he observes me before snatching my sunglasses from my eyes and tucks them away inadequately down the front of his pants; I grimace slightly at what he has just done "What? I don't have pockets and you need to show off your eyes a bit more often, they're a gorgeous colour. You want to get yourself a guy don't you?" Dad slithers his arm around my waist and chaperons me out of the store.

* * *

"Thanks, but I've already got one" I alert him; without hesitation, he grinds to a halt as if the news was very much unexpected. Wide-eyed, he gawks at me and stutters in an attempt to free his surprise.

"When the hell did my little girl grow up so quickly?" he gasps, suddenly this anxious disposition grazes over him "What's his name?"

"Michael Emerson, he drives us all to school in the morning" I reply, staring at him oddly.

"Do I know him?" he then goes onto probe me for further specific details, advancing closer with each word.

"He's only been living here since summer, so I highly doubt you do" his feet step nearer, making himself incredibly proximate with my face as he squints his eyes suspiciously.

"Have you and this Michael done the deed?" I can feel my heart spur to an even more agile pace and my cheeks flare up into a luminous ruby colour in embarrassment.

"We need to get Star, she's waiting outside for us" I excuse myself, after all these bombshells of my father actually having some sort of affection for me, I dread to think what he would do to Michael if I told him what happened between Michael and I the night before the battle at the Emerson household. Unfortunately, my rash explanation for retreating from the intimate conversation has said more than I needed to say as we stride out of the Boardwalk without another word traded between us with my dad hanging his head low and his eyes fixed on the ground in possible traumatisation from the verification that his daughter is no longer that little child who was dependent on everyone else to provide themselves as shields from the now known classified information about what the world really is.

* * *

A blast of glacial wind spears throughout my whole body, originating a little shiver. Dad cuts in front of me, it is as clear as glass that he is distressed. Star dashes over to me, seizing my arm to tug me towards her mouth.

"What the hell is your dad doing here?" she grunts, her eyes messaging daggers my way; a smirk leisurely crawls on my lips.

"Did I ever mention to you that my dad use to be a vampire slayer?" I enlighten her in a whisper before skipping over to the car where Dad is sitting in the front already with his two hands firmly on the wheel, gazing out into space.

"No! You definitely didn't tell me that Sierra Frog!" Star blurts out, shrieking with laughter. She reaches me; I open the car door for her.

"Hmm strange, must of slipped my mind!" I tease winking at her to hint the joke; Star pokes her tongue out of her uplifted lips and slips into the car with me following after her. I bash the teal car door shut and place the seatbelt diagonally over me. "Dad, do you even know where the cave is?" I investigate; all he does is chuckle at me.

"How can you not know? Talk about vampire city!" he scoffs, and with that he fires up the radio to the latest rock hit and launches the engine, driving us off into the sun.

* * *

Dad parks near the cliff edge where Michael and I defied death on the fateful day we met. Instantaneously, I dive out of the car and sprint over to the entrance of the toxic hangout where bloodthirsty villains once resided with dust-like sand chasing after me. As I patiently wait for Star and Dad to catch up, I listen to the background noises; seagulls squawk emphatically as they avoid the perimeter of the menacing lair where so much heartache has taken place, the seas liquid lips clashing together in a baneful kiss and eager footsteps coming my way. The salt from the sea is so distinct as I breathe in fresh air through my mouth, I can taste it on tongue. I twirl around to view Star and Dad running over to me. Despite my father having a dark beard, he is the spitting image of Edgar. I never thought of that before, but now I realise myself taking notice of the things I would have found oblivious before. Star cooperates with Dad, carrying two wooden knives in her arms.

"Here" she says, thrusting the stake into my hands. _It'll be just like a little injection_ – Dwayne's false description of being impaled swims madly through my head. I can't show any mercy to David though, not when everyone's lives are at stake.

"Right, let's go kill us some bloodsuckers!" Dad hoots boisterously, making his way into the depths of hell: the hell I once thought was heaven. Star and I succeed after him, embarking down the shortened stairwell from the ablaze light into the darkness.

* * *

Nothing has changed in the Lost Boys ancient hangout; the Jim Morrison shrine is still situated in its same place, Dwayne's couch where I spent many nights chilling out with him is the same except dust has flocked together to create a sheer cover.  
"Laddie!" Star bellows, exploring frantically for our baby boy "Laddie its Star and Sierra! Where are you baby?" I inspect the corridor surrounded by serrated rocks acting like barbed wires, which leads to where the guys once rested by poking my head around the corner. Who knows, two of them could still be resting there. It's nothing but pure blackness down there, yet I somehow trust I know the route off by heart.

"I'm gonna check down here, you guys stay down there" I order; I elevate my left leg, ready to reminisce with Marko's harrowing death.

"Sierra!" Dad hisses in worry, I jerk around to face him "You're not a fully trained vampire slayer yet like Edgar, Alan and me; if David is down there then you won't stand a chance" he forgets I have dealt with vampires before. I'm not afraid of David and I am prepared to face the consequences if I do happen to meet him again.

"I may not be trained, but I know what I'm doing" I study his opinion; my dad's face is slacked and his brow furrowed along with his eyes begging me not to go down there for my own sake. But what about Laddie's sake? There is a possibility he is down there right under our feet, if I don't go down there I'll regret it for the rest of my life "I'll call you if theres any trouble, ok?" Dad bites his lower lip; it's finally time for him to make a judgement. He has to let go of his little girl at some point in his life, today has to be the day. Not just for me, but for everybody. Will he ever relinquish his little princess? He did it with Delilah, so why not with me? He has to allow his daughter to morph into an adult, to accept that I'm growing up; if he doesn't do it soon, then Laddie may be lost forever.

* * *

**Thanks for reading guys, hope you enjoyed! The next few updates may or may not take a long time to come - I'm doing revision for exams :/ **

**SkittleMachine: Glad you liked it! And I hope you can, I love your story! **

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: I'm also glad you liked it! Nahh, I don't think Dwayne's a bad vampire, at least not towards Sierra. Heres your update, enjoy! :) Thank you for telling me about Charmed, I'll be sure to watch it! **

**LovingTLB: Thank you! Sierra was just interested in what Delilah found so interesting in the guys, but she got pulled in by David. Yeah, the Frog family are quite hilarious, espicially Edgar, Frog and Judd :') Heres your update, hope you enjoy! **

**lost boys luvr: Hey! I've missed your reviews! Glad to see you again :) hope you've enjoyed the story so far and that you enjoy this update! **


	7. Devils and Angels

His face is grave as if he can predict an abominable ending if he provides his consent for me to access the abyss of rest. My father, he wordlessly beseeches me not to be the danger of my own downfall. We stare at each other; he has to allow his little girl to scatter away in the wind, only to exist in his memories. That naive child he believes for me to be is extinct now with a mature version of the very same person replacing her. The tension between a father who is grieving for not cherishing his own child while she was young enough to appreciate it and a daughter whose only desire is to be independent, is unreal. Please Dad - I want my baby boy back. I want my sister back, I've been yearning for our reunion from the very second I was informed of her kidnap. If I have to wait any longer, I feel as if I may explode with angst. He exhales mournfully and surrenders his view from me; he has accepted that he has to bury the past in the sandy dunes.

"At least give me a hug before you go" he sighs, his voice jittering as he fights off the tears pressurizing him to release them. A smile creeps up onto my lips. I gleefully skip over to my father and wrap my arms around him; he clutches onto me, I can feel moist drops of inconsolable water from his eyes collide with my skin

"You'll always be my little princess Sierra, nothing will ever change that" the father I've been craving for all my life has finally arrived, he's here at last. I just hope he nests this way in my life forever.

"I know I am" I gently angle his jaw to face me, his bloodshot eyes are pained "I'll be fine, if there's any trouble I promise I'll shout for you" I reassure him, one last tear slips from his misty eyes and he allows a corner of his mouth to arch up. I manoeuvre my lips to his forehead, balancing on my tiptoes to reach it where I plant a tender kiss "Love you"

"And I love you Sierra; now go ahead my little woman, be safe" I place my heels solidly on the grey powdery ground, Dad salutes me with a now full grin attached on his face "Good luck baby doll. If David is down there, you have my permission to kick his ass"

"Will do Dad!" I giggle before departing from him to the chamber of horrors.

"Sierra wait!" Star dashes over and hurls her arms around me tightly as if she can never bring herself to let go "Stay alert Sierra, and stay safe" she smooches my cheek before guiding me into the tunnel to hell "See you later" I wave back to her, then commencing my adventure down the narrow halls. I pat around my pockets, discovering a lighter in there and bring it out for a source of light in this vague underworld.

* * *

A flicker of fire illuminates the area of which I am condemned in until I bid with David for Laddies' life. The miniature orange flame created by gas and oxygen reveals the piercing boulders sticking out from the stone wall that act as an obstruction from collecting what belongs to me. As I cautiously walk on through frigid puddles that soak my feet like a sponge, the rotting smell of bodies causes me to gag. I hastily cover my mouth so I can keep my stomachs' temptation to vomit at bay. Withering vines fling over me, enclosing me in their trap! I scurry about whilst struggling to free myself from this sudden ambush. I trip over onto the frozen, rigid ground; an intense pain bullets up my naked arm as it scraps along one of the knifelike rocks. I hiss sharply at the stinging sensation coursing along the slightly bleeding wound.

There is a clattering of rocks coming over from the end of the jagged passageway; someone is imprisoned here with me. I immediately dart onto my feet, gulping silently.

"Who's there?" my voice trembles in fright. I unconsciously contract the lighter in my fist as my breathing once again increases as does my heart. Congestion builds up and up in my chest like its never going to stop until it constructs a house "Laddie? Is that you?" I ask softly, theres no reply "David?" the storm may have found me and I would be left in the dark yet theres still no answer, it can't be who I think it is "Dwayne?" hurried footsteps echo down the unexplored hideaway where the mysterious person cloaks themselves in the eerie shadows. Instantly, I chase after them.

Sprinting down the more spacious corridor where fewer barricades prevent me from conflicting with the lairs prolonged list of confessions, I begin to think whether this is yet another ghost in my mind that is besieged with paranoia or if the astrological person who I am pursuing after is actually Dwayne aiming to hide from me. A little bit more every time, he glissades away from me as if I am poison. Does he miss me? My mind says yes but my heart says no. If he wished to visit me, he would have done so by now. But if Dwayne is at David's side, he would be forbidden to ever set his eyes on me again. That is, until David saw it fit.

I was so entangled in my thoughts I didn't even realise that I am hip deep in ice-cold salty water until a powerful wave enshrouds over my body, swallowing me into its watery grave. Gasping for air and spluttering up portions of the unwanted ocean, I emerge from under the shallow pool with sizzling bubbles on the surface and other feeble waves succeeding as an aftermath welcoming me. I wipe my drenched face with the back of my also wet hand and tease my now limp hair. I take a final glance at where who I estimate was Dwayne fled to at the far side of the cave. No more, I can't allow Dwayne to invade my life like this. I refuse to become obsessed with him. Instead of concentrating on Dwayne, I have to focus on Michael who has rewarded my previously weary life with a brightness I never thought I would lay eyes on. Star is right; I will never see Dwayne again. As much as it destroys my heart, Dwayne and I will never exchange another glimpse of each other. He is gone. All because of me, Dwayne is gone for an eternity.

* * *

My waterlogged body drags itself into the former bedchamber of the once vicious bloodsuckers. Only one of them has kept his violence intact, and that one man is defiling all chances of us having a peaceful time on this earth. My eyes wrestle off tears as on the ground is Marko, dressed in his heavily-customized denim jacket and worn bloodstains. His mop of blonde curls is swamped over the barren ground and his eyes locked down. I tear my view from him; if I don't do so then I will be pummelled by excruciating flashbacks of Marko's death that I fear I will not be able to endure. I search around the desolate space for any evidence of Laddie being here. As much as I look, I discover nothing. I freeze. It isn't Laddie. But now I know for a fact Dwayne has reappeared in Santa Carla. It was him who I've been seeing. It wasn't my mind taunting me with tricks. In front of me, slumped neglectfully on the floor is Dwayne's beloved leather jacket.

"Sierra!" Stars worried voice mirrors itself repeatedly around the compressed cave. Without even thinking, I snatch the charcoal jacket and race back to the sanctuary of Stars presence.

* * *

The daylight greets me warmly as does Star and my dad who correspond bizarre looks at me, most likely wondering what strange troubles I have participated in this time. Stars gaze falls onto the jacket that is bundled in my arms like a precious baby; her jaw declines rapidly and her eyes rise up in shock.

"Is that what I –" she stutters the last few words she was planning to say in disbelief "He can't –"

"And you think he isn't back in Santa Carla?" I question her, raising a sleek eyebrow. Star shakes her head, attempting to clear it of such thoughts of Dwayne's unexpected arrival, her mane of tight curls wobbling around as she does this.

"He could've left it there the night you let him go" she can't grasp onto the truth she despises so much. As much as Star loves Dwayne, she can't bear to overlook him. I can tell she desires to break free of David's prison, but on her own accord Star can't desert it. I endorse reality though; since the exposure of my past champions abnormal condition, nothing can be a spectacular phenomenon compared to that one shock.

"Well... we haven't found the kid!" Dad breaks the awkward silence that lingers over Star and I; my heart drowns in sorrow, how much longer would it take to have Laddie in the arms of safety again? A month? A year? I can't even suffer another day, let alone a whole year.

"Lets try the Boardwalk tonight, David might take him there" Star proposes. David isn't cowardly, if he wishes to go out into public, even if the eyes of the world were hunting him down, then he would do it. No matter how chancy it may be – he will take up that challenge.

I nod in agreement; Star drifts her view down to the leather jacket that is still trussed in my care. Like Star commented earlier on, I have my memories. Who said that they have to be in confined to my mind though? Dwayne's leather jacket is another memory, just in a more physical form. I have come to the conclusion that I will never truly forget about him completely, my affection for him will never allow it. Dwayne will be secured in my heart forever. He will always be a part of me, whether I like it or not.

* * *

I examine my reflection in the car mirror; my thick seal brown hair flows down to the middle of my ribs, my startling crystal blue eyes shine out with my long eyelashes concealed in black mascara and my lips decorated in the colour of cherry red with a satin finish. Nervous vibes are sent down my spine as my heart feels as if it's throbbing vigorously in my throat and I feel like a timid creature taking its first steps out into the universe, isolated from any comfort. My ancient teal car is situated around the corner from the Emerson household, out of sight from the whole of Santa Carla. Star and my father implored me not to depart by myself, what with a destructive vampire on the loose. I managed to convince them that for the healthiness of my relationship with Michael, it has to be just the two of us with no one else involved. All my dad did was glare at me in scepticism before Star eased his worries. Now, here I am – preparing myself for the wrath of Michael. I am responsible for all of his anger though, if I hadn't of kept any honesty from him then we wouldn't be in this state. We would still be that blissful couple who everyone admired. My thoughts track back to a couple of days ago when Laddie, Michael and I were sincerely portraying a faithful family. We were so happy, there no disagreements and no hate. Even with David threatening the end of us all those weeks ago, Michael and I remained strong. Unless I change that this evening, we will never be those titanium lovers again. If nothing is resolved, we will only be immortal enemies.

Before exhaling deeply, I encompass my body with perfume of a floral aroma. Though I cleansed myself from the nauseating smell of the sea, I want to make an effort for Michael. Then, with my hand quivering from irritation of the nervousness, I open the car door. As soon as my white granny boots touch the gravel below me, I know there is no turning back. I haul myself up and get out of the car, slamming the door behind me and locking it immediately. In my white spandex skirt that goes beyond the borderline of my kneecaps with a aligned lace stripe at the right side, a top matching where only the long sleeves and back are camouflaged in the same colour of white lace and the darling necklace Michael bought me, I saunter over to the solemn house filled with life; I try my best to walk confidently to veil the anxious nature I am experiencing right now. The sound of objects crashing together startles me. I take a few more steps forward towards the direction of the clanging, peeping my head around to see if anyone is there.

"Goddamn it!" Mr Emerson growls, it was him who created the booming noises "Who's there?" he then snaps, footsteps at a brash pace begin to come my way.

"It's just me Mr Emerson!" I call, my feet abide to where I am already, not moving an inch.

Mr Emerson in his usual attire of hippy clothing, accessorized with his trademark patterned rag encircling his receding hairline appears with a disgruntled look on his face. After his eyes forage around the area frantically, his view finally lands on me with a smile spreading on his lips.

"Oh Sierra its you!" Mr Emerson sighs in relief, approaching me; he observes me up and down with a disgusted mannerism manifesting his facial expression "Is that what you teenage girls wear nowadays? In my day, girls wouldn't even dare to have their skirts above their ankles!" his eyes are glued on the brim of my skirt. In embarrassment, I tug it down a little.

"I guess so" I mumble, my cheeks exploding brighter than my lipstick. A devilish smirk soon climbs onto Mr Emerson's mouth.

"So, Michael's getting lucky tonight huh?" he chuckles, winking at me; I giggle at his joke. Hopefully, I'll be getting lucky tonight as well. I don't mean it in a sexual manner like Mr Emerson does, but I just hope I have fortune tonight with Michael and me ending our dilemmas once and for all so we can return back to normalization "Well, it has been a while since you two... you know. About four weeks? Unless you didn't do it in Michael's bedroom like last time" he stands there for a few seconds with his hands on his hips and his mind deep in thought "Anyway, just invite yourself in. It was nice seeing you again Sierra" without getting a farewell in edgeways, the outrageous Mr Emerson turns on his heel and retreats back into the garage. After adjusting to the surreal scene that just took place, I continue making my way to the front door of Michael's house.

Finally, the time has come. I raise my hand and clench my fingers so I can knock on the door. Taking another lengthy breath of fresh air, I await my fate. The door bursts open! Sam cackling mischievously bolts out the door in a blue oversized Hawaiian shirt and shields himself behind me. I can't help but let a wide smile grow to exhibit the surge of happiness I'm feeling.

* * *

"Oh Sierra, thank God!" he chuckles hysterically "Mikes gonna kill me! Oh shit here he is!" Michael grinds to a halt in the doorway as soon as his captivating blue eyes snap up at me. His once broad grin fades away to a look of disappointment mixed with shock.

"Sierra" he breathes in awe, his serious gaze not lifting from me; Sam flicks his head from Michael to me in bemusement.

"Hey" I quietly say, meekly smiling at him. Realisation flushes over Sams features of a dispute between his brother and me as he awkwardly bites his lip.

"Let me guess! You've got Sierra knocked up and you can't bear to have mini Michaels running around to replace your 'hotness'" not even Sams humoured declaration can dispose Michael's eyes from me.

"Piss off Sammy" Michael warns; Sam thrusts his hands up in defeat and shuffles back into the house.

"You're feeling kinda touchy tonight aren't you Mike?" Sam sarcastically probes "Good luck with Mr Grouchy Sierra" he disappears into the background, aiding Lucy with some cardboard boxes possibly from their transfer here in the summer.

"What do you want from me Sierra?" Michael interrogates cruelly, my smile collapses drastically.

"I thought you wanted to talk?" I answer, referring to his comment earlier on that was consumed with hate for me. Does Michael even love me anymore? Right now, I really doubt he does from his reaction of me standing outside his door.

"What's the point anymore, when all you do is lie to me" he coldly informs me. I've ruined everything Michael and I ever had, everything has been detonated by my secrets. I've brought all this upon myself. I've lost Michael for good this time, I know it for a fact. It's my entire fault. I just didn't want to hurt him, but my protection has been seen as false truths.

"Michael!" Mr Emerson gasps, becoming apparent once more as he places himself in the middle of Michael and me, finally destroying the fierce eye contact between us "You don't just leave a young lady outside your door like that! Especially when she's gonna be rewarding you with something special later on if you know what I mean?" he goes onto mutter in Michael's once pierced ear "Invite Sierra in!" Mr Emerson flashes a wink at me before vanishing into the house.

* * *

"You're invited" Michael sneers, I smile discreetly at him whilst slipping through the wooden archway. Michael doesn't bother to hang around waiting for me, marching over to the staircase like I'm a diseased piece of garbage that he finds distasteful. Is that all he thinks of me now?

"Sierra!" Sam runs over to me with a patched cloth slung over his shoulder; he beckons for me to come down to his height "What's happened with you two? Mikes been acting weird ever since this morning" Sam asks with concern, fishing for the latest piece of gossip in his life. I shake my head dolefully; this is between Michael and me. Also, it isn't my place to spread what has happened with Michael's family members. It wouldn't be fair.

"Oh Sierra, I didn't realise you were coming over!" Lucy pops her head around the corner of the kitchen wall, her smile of hospitality lights up the whole room "I would come in, but I'm just making dinner; do you wanna stay, I've got plenty of extras?" I catch Michael's warning eye of dissatisfaction.

"Not today, Mrs Emerson, I've gotta get back to Star and Lad-"I arrest my words, it's become such a habit to pair Star with Laddie that I instantaneously mention his name when speaking of Star. That's when it hits me like a baseball bat striking the losing ball. I might never see Laddie again; I might never get to see his chirpy smile greet me ever again or his lively presence when skipping into a room. If David wins this, I won't ever see my beautiful baby boy again "I have to get back to the others soon. But thank you anyway" I express my gratitude with a bashful smile.

"Are you coming or not Sierra?" Michael snaps, he doesn't even challenge himself to glance at me when addressing me.

"It was nice seeing you guys again" I quip before chasing Michael up the stairs. I pass the spot where I was brought back to life in Michael's arms, how I wish to be in them once again. Michael looms into his room, almost slamming the door on me. I enter the room; so many memories have been rallied in here. Would this just be another memory to add to the collection?

The main thing I keep on repeating in my mind is – is this truly the end of Michael and I?

* * *

**Ooosh guiz! Is this gonna be the end of Michael and Sierra or not? Hmmm as Sam Emerson once said - 'Inquiring minds want to know' ;) but... you'll have to wait until the next update to find out!  
I was gonna upload this last night but then I went to a Halloween party! We watched Lost Boys! I was the only one in the room quoting lines.. oh yeah and I kinda screamed when my friend showed me the DVD box :') hope you all had a good Halloween! Consider this as a late Halloween present xD  
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think in a review. **

**Heres the replies to the reviews from the last chapter:**

**Guest: Hey! Thank you for the review, you gotta love Papa Frog ;) he's got plenty of more hilarious things to say later on! Heres your update and hope you enjoy!**

**lostboysluvr: I love your reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed, heres your update! Enjoy!**

**LovingTLB: Sierra is quite confused bless her:( Haaa, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to see what happens with those two! Judd is a pretty awesome character, you can see where Edgar and Alan get their humour from :') hope you enjoy the update! **


	8. Partial Awakening

An uncomfortable silence dominates over Michael's medium sized bedroom; the only noises made are the muffled voices downstairs that are most likely guessing what has brought Michael's mood down so exceedingly. I situate myself in the lonesome corner near a poster of who I assume is one of Michael's baseball idols whilst the man who I have unrequited love with perches on the edge of his bed, staring down at the floor. I remember it was in this room only weeks ago that Michael said that all he desired to do was stay with me for the whole day, now it's like he is desperate to be rid of my presence. In unison, Michael and I drift our views up at each other. My eyes are ones of forlornness whereas his, they just spit pure fury. There is a knock at the door; I transfer myself closer to Michael's bed. Through the corner of my eye, I can see him peer up at me. There is some sentiment in his eyes this time, but I can still feel his vibes of enragement. Sam accesses the soon to be battle arena with three cups of steaming hot cocoa balancing in his hands and a beaming smile stitched on his lips in an attempt to make the tense atmosphere more relaxed.

"Mom told me to bring these up for you two; she did always say that a cup of cocoa –"

"Leave us alone Sam" Michael interrupts rudely, glaring at his harmless younger brother who is frozen by the door.

"– always calms things down" he slowly finishes his disturbed sentence; Sam stands upright with a look of annoyance etching his face "Jesus Christ Mike! What the hell is your problem today? Why are you being such a dick to Sierra? Don't you think she's got enough on her plate right now without you being an asshole?" he yells, I really don't need another dispute to initiate.

My head has been pulsating with agony recently from every revelation flaunted and each antagonizing episode that's been forcibly purchased along with them. As sweet as it is for Sam to defend me, another person inviting themselves into this argument is the thing I need least to happen. Michael gets up and threateningly strolls over to Sam.

"I thought I told you to piss off Sammy" he snarls intimidating Sam by squaring up to his face. Sam helplessly looks at me for some aid. All I can do is weakly turn his plea for help down, thankfully he nods in understanding.

"Fine, I'm taking your cocoa back though" Sam informs, seizing his brothers cup of cocoa before unsuccessfully burning himself "Ah shit!" he hisses, sucking on his mildly injured thumb like a baby to relieve the scorching pain. He flashes me a consoling smile, then departing before he can engage with anymore issues.

* * *

I can't help but radiate with infuriation, what gave Michael the right to talk to his own brother like that? This normal emotion that most humans experience is boiling up inside of me, preparing itself to explode. There was no need for Michael to reflect his anger out on Sam, what did he do wrong? He merely fended for me, standing up for something he believes in like many people throughout history have done. Michael twists back around, undiluted outrage blasting through him; I can see his hand clasped in a fist, hungering to strike out at something. Is that fist meant for me? My rage turns into fright, is Michael going to hit me? Or was it him resisting the temptation of hurting his younger brother? Thoughtlessly, I clutch my necklace. How it will save me from anything I don't know, it somehow provides me with a feeling of comfort though. Michael notices me doing this; his face softens with a hint of his anger fading away. He unclenches his fist, instead finding use of his hand by awkwardly scratching the back of his head, underneath those beautiful loose curls. Once again, the silence has returned.

"What... what was it you wanted to speak to me about?" I ask him to break the unbearable sound of nothing. Michael's dazzling blue eyes snap back up at me, the ferocity has reinstated its powerful title again.

"Why don't you tell me Sierra? Wait that's it. I forgot! You can't tell me anything without saying a load of bullshit!" he barks, I part my lips a little in shock, taken aback at this sudden backlash "You say there isn't anything wrong with you, but I know there is. I can tell there's something wrong with you, and it isn't about Laddie or your parents or school. But obviously you don't trust me enough to tell me so instead, you make up these little lies about how you're on period. Oh sorry, it was your brothers who excused you that time!" the countdown has for the detonation of all of my emotions has come – no one talks about my brothers that way.

"You mean like the time you weren't ok when you got turned into a vampire? Don't play so innocent Michael; you've done exactly the same"

Michael, breathing heavily with sweat gleaming from his forehead strides with authority over to me and strenuously cups my jaw with his flaming hot hands, gazing intently into my eyes. I can almost see a morsel of love left for me in those eyes.

"I almost killed you Sierra!" he shouts, suddenly his temper calms itself "I was crazy for you. More fool me, I still am" Michael thrusts his hands from me, my head jerking back a little to the side. He does love me, but is that love withering away? I watch as Michael leans on the wall with his back facing me, panting from exasperation. Within a few seconds of cooling himself down, he revolves around "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you now?" I open my mouth to speak, no words flee though. I can't bring myself to tell him any of my little secrets. I can't confess. How can I explain to him how for a moment in time I actually loved Dwayne as I love him? How can I tell him Dwayne is alive and is somewhere among the thriving life that makes up Santa Carla? Everyone is born to make mistakes, but this feels so different. Michael with despair focuses on me in a battle of the eyes, I can't do it. I just can't do it. I don't want to upset him; he holds a much too precious place in my life. Michael shakes his head in disbelief, scowling at me. "I knew it, I fucking knew it" he sighs; I can't allow him to slip away like this. I love him.

"Have you ever considered for one moment, I haven't told you because I don't wanna hurt you?" Do I reveal everything to him? Or do I grant the end of us just so I can keep my secret protected?

"How could you possibly hurt me?" I could severely bruise his heart with just three words – Dwayne kissed me. And as a result of that kiss, I loved him back.

I can't handle any of this for much longer; I have to escape from here. I can't stand arguments at the best of times, but this is just insufferable.

"I asked you a question Sierra, please do me at least one favour by answering it this time without lying" Michael challenges, out of nervousness I twiddle around with the necklace; Michael scoffs at me doing this, as if it is unacceptable "You think you can walk in here with a pretty outfit on and everything would be ok?" I meekly shake my head, fresh hot tears well up in my eyes. Michael once again takes note of this, he unexpectedly saunters over to me and wipes one of the tears that had broken free away "I don't love your outfits Sierra, I love you. Please baby, just tell me whats wrong" There is so much calculation if I tell him though. If I inform about giving my consent to liberate Dwayne, I know for a fact he will probe for more answers and that will only lead to a heartbreaking conclusion.

"All this with Laddie, its bringing up memories of Delilah for me" Michael can read me like a book, examining my features for further truths with doubt.

"That isn't everything, is it Sierra?"

"And..." I breathe in deeply, getting ready to spill everything "I thought I saw Dwayne the other day"

To my surprise, Michael hauls me in for a condoling embrace, it seems like I have been waiting for an eternity to be in his arms again.

"Sierra, baby he's dead. He can't harm you now" If only you had knowledge of the truth Michael, if only you knew. I have partially admitted what is burdening me; Michael is still unaware of Dwayne's status in life though. I try to think of what Star said, maybe he did leave his leather jacket there the night I freed him. Maybe, I was chasing after an abandoned animal of some sort in the cave. My instinct declares it was him though, no matter how hard I muse about it not being Dwayne, that instinct will always rule supreme.

"I'm sorry" I weep into his pale cotton t-shirt with a flood of cordial guilt disgorging down my trembling cheeks. Please forgive me Michael; I don't want to lose you.

"Its ok princess, it's over now. It's finished. Just please don't lie to me, I hate seeing you hurt" Star was right about Michael, he just didn't want me being upset. I cling onto his muscular chest as if it is all I have in the world, I haven't felt this alleviated for a lengthy time. At the same time, I haven't felt this bereaved from happiness either. I miss Dwayne, if only I didn't release him that night. I could have found a better way to keep him with me. He could have joined forces with us in defeating evil. Unfortunately, it's all in the past now. I can't change it. Not even the greatest scientist on Earth could invent a way to adjust the timeline of events.

* * *

Michael tilts up my chin to look into his startling eyes; he begins to lean in with both of our eyes sliding to a close, bracing ourselves for the poised eruption of love that will abolish the strain between us. Footsteps storm into the room! Michael and I snag our heads in the direction of the abrupt intrusion. Three anxious male figures halt in the doorway – Edgar, Alan and Sam. Edgar in annoyance turns his head to look at Sam who has his mouth hanging open in shock.

"I thought you said they were arguing. Looks more like a making out session to me" he grumbles with vexation of missing the dramatic action. Michael stares icily at Sam who responds by imitating his brother.

"Hey is that cocoa?" Alan gasps in delight, snatching the cup from the table "Yes! It has mini marshmallows as well!" Immediately Alan slurps down the toothsome creamy beverage to an empty state.

"So you weren't gonna share with me? Your own brother Alan, your own brother!" Edgar scolds, yanking the striped cup from his hands "You could've at least saved me a marshmallow!" Michael and I watch on in bewilderment, his arms still enveloped around my hips.

"Hey guys!" Sam snaps; Edgar and Alan discontinue their quarrel over sugary treats, darting their heads to look at Sam "Focus on the real problem?"

"There's no problem Sammy, not anymore" Michael informs him, Edgar and Alan eye us suspiciously.

"You don't deny that there wasn't a problem... El Vampiro" Edgar probes, narrowing his eyes at Michael.

"Goddamn it Edgar, he isn't a vampire anymore!" Sam debates. I knit my brow together and enlarge my eyes as a caution for Edgar to shut up.

"You can never be too careful! Especially when that blonde haired bloodsucker's somewhere" for a brief time period, I erased all thoughts of David lurking around Santa Carla from my mind. I just hope he won't sabotage my newly rebuilt love for Michael. Or Michael's love for me.

"Is there any news about Laddie?" Michael questions; Michael and Laddie had been getting along brilliantly ever since the fight, like a son and father. I listen attentively for the latest update on my baby boy. I just hope it is one of good news. To my disappointment, Edgar shakes his head as confirmation that Laddie has remained missing. My heart sinks into the deepest pit of sorrow and I can feel teardrops form in my eyes again, I want Laddie back. I can't bear another day without him. Then, I detect an absent person from the group that had just arrived. "Where's Star?"

"Don't worry Sierra, she's with Dad. Now come on, let's pull. Time to get our vampire slaying groove on" Alan cheers, at least Stars safe. If she was ransacked from me as well, I don't know what I would do.

"Come on men! Let's move, move, move!" just as they are about to retreat, Edgar quickly stops himself and turns to face me "And Sierra" as fast as a shooting star, they scramble out of the room. Michael wraps his arm around my waist as we walk out the door. It's finally night, and David will be out – hunting for his next victim. I just pray that those I love are not on his murderous list.

* * *

**Naww they're ok now guys :'3 hope you enjoyed reading and thank you! **

**LovingTLB: Sierras outfits are pretty cool, I must admit! Judd is an awesome guy, if not a little crazy XD don't worry Sierra and Michael are cool now! As for little Michael and Sierra babies- NAWW that would be so cute! **

**SkittleMachine: Oh yussh she found the jacket XD heres your update and hope you enjoy. P.S. your story update was AMAZING! :D **

**Guest (Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan): Hahaa, I love how you want to hit Michael around the head, kinda makes me laugh :') Awwwh yeah, Dwayne's jacket. But is Star right about it just being left there when Sierra let him go? Hmmm, you'll have to wait and see! Edgar and Alan definietely take after Papa Frog with their humour, more Edgar than Alan. Looks wise- Edgar is more Judd and Alan is more Petal. Heres your update and hope you enjoy! **


	9. Anonymous Locations

With our fingers entwined, Michael and I arrive at the Boardwalk. Michael protectively squeezes my hand and increases his pace as we pass the same clique of hormone fuelled teenage boys with their duplicated baggy denim jackets and smarmy haircuts who crudely wolf-whistled at Star and I yesterday night. I keep my attention completely absorbed to finding Laddie or Delilah in this maze of energized humans. David has to be here, this place is like heaven to him. Also, I've witnessed Delilah observing my every move in her disguise that consisted of jet black sunglasses and a hood; that piece of information certified by Star provides me hope that she could still be watching over me, away from David's possessive clutches. Suddenly, there is an uproar of boisterous howls. I know instantly that it could only be three wild boys I like to call my best friends – Jimmy, River and Jude.

"Sup guys?" River hollers, flinging a trusty arm around Michael shoulders. Michael smirks and welcomes him with a greeting only males can express. Jimmy leaps from a hidden area above us, quite possibly the vending machine that contains stale and out of date treats such as candy bars and chips. He immediately picks me up into his arms and places a friendly kiss on my crown of voluminous hair.

"Sorry Mike, but Sierra's mine for the night" Jimmy winks at a laughing Michael to hint the joke "As for you young lady, where were you today?" I'm guessing Michael hadn't explained my brothers' false reasoning behind my absence.

"You know, women stuff" Michael aids, I thank him with an appreciative smile.

Jimmy, River and Jude create a commotion of untamed laughter, resulting in Michael and me participating with them. Our rapturous moment together is interrupted by a lecturing voice infested with irritation. I snap my head around, my thick hair whipping Jimmy as I do so.

"Ugh... Sierra! I don't like the taste of your hair" Jimmy grouches, he softly captures a few long dark strands and brings them to his nose, breathing in its scent "On the other hand it smells nice" he takes another extended inhalation of my hair "Seriously what do you put on it? Damn, what is that? Is that strawberries?" I glance at Michael who is desperately trying to contain his laughter, as am I and the rest of the guys. There is another bellow among the powerful crowd; it is the enraged man who seems to have a constant war going on with Jimmy.

"Fuck! It's the return of the fat man!" Jude gasps in mockery, he yanks River's leather jacket and drags him out of the Boardwalk "Nice seeing you today Sierra!"

"We shall be back!" River calls as his brother tugs him hastily out of the double doors.

"Gotta fly Sierra-Bear" Jimmy has always referred to me as Sierra-Bear, ever since kindergarten when I refused to release a cuddly teddy from my hands "Tell Star I said hey" and with that he exchanges me over to Michael who cradles me in his soothing arms. Jimmy twirls around, his long black hair embracing the air "Come on then Fat Man! Run!" he challenges, daring himself to beckon the security guard over "Oh shit!" he goes onto cackle as he races out of the Boardwalk to escape the wrath of the fuming man. With one look between us, Michael and I burst out into amused chuckles. Those guys never fail to force laughter out of me! Michael collects a handful of my coffee coloured hair, breathing it in like Jimmy did.

"Yup, I can definitely say that's strawberries!" Michael confirms, I begin to giggle manically; a cramp like pain in my abdomen starts to rise and I can't seem to grasp the air that has been taken out of me. I feel so overjoyed that my relationship has restored back to a peaceful state. Its like tomorrow is far away, almost out of this universe.

I catch a glimpse of my father who is stood behind the counter inspecting me, taking sneaky peeps occasionally above the pages of his vampire handout. I smile to myself, a few days ago I wouldn't even have dreamed about my dad fretting at his daughter being in the presence of a man. It's entirely different now though; I've seen an evolution in him I thought I would never see. After all these deserted years without him, I'm finally proud to call him my father. Then I think, Michael has never been introduced to Dad. Since we have reconciled and are as blissful as the sun shimmering on a warm day, it seems almost fitting that they should acquainted.

"Baby, can we go to the comic store please? I want you to meet my dad" I request, a grin rises on Michael's lips as he nods. He positions me so I am on my feet again and laces his fingers around mine.

* * *

The two of us saunter into the store that is glowing with colourful heroes and heroines on every front cover of a dramatic comic. My stomach churns with nerves; what if he didn't like Michael? After unintentionally exposing that night with Michael where we became one, I fear that he might have grown to dislike him. Dad instantly heightens his eyes to look at Michael and me entering, and abandons the guidebook on the counter with urgency.

"Hey Dad, I'd like you to meet someone" Dad raises an eyebrow and examines Michael carefully to make sure that he is suitable for me "This is Michael, my boyfriend" Even though we have been dating some time, my heart still flutters when I apply the title of boyfriend to Michael. I don't know why, it just does. Michael outstretches his arm across the tobacco camouflaged desk as a formal welcome; thankfully, my father accepts his polite gesture and shakes his hand.

"It's good to meet you Michael, I'm Judd. Sierra's father" he smiles in satisfaction that his work is done, Michael has graduated from his approval.

"It's good to meet you as well!" Michael beams with relief, as do I. Dad loosens his grasp on Michael's hand as Michael withdraws his arm and puts it back to his side.

"Is that Sierra I hear?" my face slacks with alarm – it's my mom. Though mine and my father's relationship has healed, my other parent has remained her uncaring and embarrassing self.

"You're hearing things again Petal!" Dad yells, in one fast movement he leans over the desk to get closer to Michael and me "If I were you guys I'd leave while you have the chance. That woman's higher than a kite this evening" Dad then warns us, I wouldn't want Michael to meet my mother, especially if the description of her element is true. We take my dad's suggestion and say our farewells before parting ways. "Michael!" Dad shouts, we abruptly stop and turn around to face him "Remember to put something on the end of it! I'm too young to have grandkids!" my cheeks burn with humiliation and I scowl at him to show him just how embarrassed I am, I can see now where Edgar gets his personality from.

My mom appears from the staff room, my father was right – she is definitely high. Sunglasses veil her puffy eyes and her hair frizzes madly. Dad and I trade the same look of panic.

"That is Sierra! Who's the guy? Judd tell me who he is! I wanna know!" Mom exclaims, thrusting her hands on her hips and pouting.

"Run! Now!" he screams, ushering my mother back into her hideaway where she is better off instead of revealing herself to the world.

"Oh my God, is that Sierra's beau? Judd I wanna meet him! Let me meet him!" she protests childishly, those complaints soon dissolve into wails "My baby girl is growing up Judd, look at how gorgeous she is! And she's got a man!" the harassing woman who I have the so called pleasure of calling my mother, trails off on a rant that is incoherent due to bawls. My dad shoves her into the staff room, hastily locking the door before using himself as a human shield to barricade it as my mom attempts to escape by banging on the door repeatedly.

"Sierra! I can't hold her in there for much longer without her going ballistic! And trust me – you do not wanna see your mother go crazy! It's like watching two lions fight over a scrap of meat. Anyway, run! Now!" the crashing on the door intensifies in noise and my mom's drowned pleas for discharge from the room that confines her insanity from public become louder. Michael and I flee from the scene of madness, into the masses of life.

* * *

We both struggle to keep our hilarities in as we splutter out laughs. I collapse on him in a heap of hysterics, that ache in my stomach is rupturing again. It symbolises complete euphoria though, no matter how unpleasant its pain may be, I know that it's happiness.

"I wanna take you somewhere" Michael whispers in my ear, caressing it with his lips as he does so. Before I have the chance to reply, he sweeps me off my feet and secures me in his steady ropes that I can rely on with every last bit of trust in my heart.

"Where are we going?" I quiz playfully flicking some of his charming ringlets. Michael teasingly puts a finger to his lips, informing me that he will never reveal the anonymous location.

* * *

As he races out the sturdy double doors that act as both an entrance and exit of the Boardwalk, my once spritely face hibernates for a rush of sadness to invade over. Those remarkable eyes inked with black stare at me and the full name of 'Delilah Marelle Frog' in a crucial bold font strikes out as sharply as a fist colliding with an unfortunates jaw. My big sister, she is still missing. I was so lassoed in all the fun, the reason I accessed the Boardwalk vanished from my mind. I need to search for Laddie and Delilah; I don't think I can undergo another day without them. I have to find them. What if Delilah is here right now and I leave with Michael? What if Laddie somehow extradited himself from David's illegal custody and found his way back to me? He wouldn't have a chance to save himself if I wasn't here. What would happen if he couldn't find Star? Laddie is like a son to me, and a child will always come first my eyes. Delilah had nurtured and looked out for me for all these years; even with her existence from my view lost, she looked out for me. Its time for me to do the same.

"Baby, can we go another night? I wanna look for my sister and Laddie" I exhale severely, waiting for Michael's confrontation.

"Yeah sure princess, we'll go back in now" Michael smiles earnestly, allocating a delicate kiss on my forehead. He turns around to go back inside; Star however darts out the doors and greets us with a joyful grin. I attempt at my best to smile back at her, I'm so used to Laddie being permanently glued to her side that when his presence is removed, I can't help but to realise that he's gone and the way David is keeping up his charades – he will stay that way.

"Hey guys! Edgar and Alan were just gonna show me how to play pinball then we're gonna look for Laddie. You guys need some time together though, so we thought you could hang around here or go out for a bite to eat, you know whatever's cool with you two lovebirds!" Star chirps contently, appearing like a romance inflamed child. Something tells me Jimmy ran straight from the person who he gives the title of 'Fat Man', to Star who he has been seemingly spending more time with each growing day.

"Um, yeah that's cool, only if you're fine with it though!" I want to be reassured, as much as I desire to go out with Michael, just us two and the moon, I wouldn't mind hunting down Laddie; and of course my other main priority, Delilah.

"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't fine with it would I Sierra?" Star daintily taps my nose as she giggles away happily. It's so uplifting to see her in good spirits; it seems like forever since I last saw her like this.

"Oh yeah Star?" I smirk to myself, Star stops giggling instantly and quips her head up to face me "Jimmy said hey" Her cheeks blaze up into a blushing ruby colour and a gleaming broad smile crawls onto her lips. I knew there was chemistry between Jimmy and Star ever since the night of the concert where they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes as if their attractive for each other had caused a seductive trance. Star tucks a lock of her corkscrew curls behind her ear where a single pearl earring is situated and peers down at the floor with that beautiful grin still radiating.

"Sierra!" Edgar barks, steaming through the doors like an overcharged train on crooked trail, along with Alan at his side.

"Shit, we thought we'd missed you by like twenty seconds!" Alan pants, converting all of his weight onto Edgar.

"Guys! I said wait up!" Sam zooms out next, breathing recklessly. He also does the same as Alan, except he heaves himself onto Edgar's other shoulder "How many... how many times... are you gonna do that?" Edgar shares disapproving looks with the two boys who aren't threatened by his glares as they maintain him as their leaning post.

"I think we need to get him in for some slaying lessons, it'll boost his athletic skills!" Edgar mutters into Alan's ear. Alan nods in agreement but quickly transfers his view back onto the ground.

"Are you guys' nuts? That'll kill me!" Sam argues; soon enough, he begins to feel his upper biceps to discover some hidden muscle.

"Vampires will kill you quicker!" Alan rasps. Because of his mild exhaustion, he collapses onto the floor followed by a dramatic groan "Screw this man, I need a soda! Edgar get me a soda!" he limply elevates his arm in order to retrieve the invisible soda can that he seems to be hopeless without.

"Get your own goddamn soda! This is payback time for not saving me any cocoa" Edgar snaps, Alan lets out another groan of despair and falls flat on his back. I cough a little, its enough to coax all the boys' attention. Edgar, Alan and Sam twist their heads around to look at me in unison; Edgar's eyes review my outfit of white lace, criticizing the length of the skirt. "Wanna pull that skirt of yours down Sierra?" Edgar advises, still scrutinizing my attire.

"I'm good thanks" I sarcastically reply, flashing a bitter yet sweet smile. His response to my answer is a crabby glower as he tries to restrain himself from marching over and dragging my skirt down to my ankles.

"Don't blame us if vampires try to get their hands on you then" he grumbles, desperately needing assistance for backup. His two sidekicks just stay as they are, lying on the floor in a drained bundle. I wouldn't blame them if they were exhausted; Edgar does like to haul them along with him on his wild adventures that involve plenty of hazardous antics that I'm sure even the most agile person on earth would find extremely fatiguing "So you and Michael going out?" he then questions, I nod once. I'm avid to know the whereabouts of this oracular secret that Michael is keeping concealed from me "Awesome. Oh yeah Mikey, my dad told me to give you this" Edgar propels a small and packaged object at Michael who speedily catches it in his hands. A corner of his pink-hued lips begins to curl into a famous smirk, what had Edgar thrown at him? Before I can peek at the puzzling gift, Michael stuffs it into his jean pocket.

"Thanks Edgar" he chuckles, Edgar doesn't seem as humoured though, a stern expression is carved on his face and his arms are crossed to show just how serious he is being.

"See you guys later, and Michael – don't forget to use it" Edgar cautions, his eyes flick up at me after he accomplishes scowling at Michael "Pull your skirt down Sierra" and with that, the three boys whisk away into the nightlife of complete exhilaration.

* * *

After rolling my eyes at my younger brother, I give Star a goodbye hug before she skips merrily after the adventurous boys. Michael chaperons me over to his midnight motorbike where he assists me to climb on the back; he subsequently follow, setting himself in front of me. I encompass my arms around his waist for safety on our journey to the place Michael is harbouring from me.

"So what's that thing my brother threw at you?" I ask, I'm intrigued to find out what is buried in Michael's front pocket. He smirks once again and turns his head to face me.

"Lets just say, if we get caught up in a moment, our parents won't be grandparents in nine months" Michael winks at me. The colour of rosy scarlet leaks into my cheeks and my eyes widen in dread, Edgar had given him contraceptive. I'm not even planning on using it for anything! Then again, that night where I fully gave myself to Michael was totally unexpected. Anything could happen tonight, at least if that one moment in time where love truly takes over occurs, I'll be safe from presenting my father with unwanted grandchildren. Michael revs the engine, preparing the bike to start our expedition.

"Ready princess?"

"Ready!" Michael guns the engine once more, we are off! The wind entangles with my hair as we succeed into the night skies. If only Laddie and Delilah could be with us and we could all be rid of David once and for all, everything would be perfect. I'm determined to get them back. And once they are back, they will never be gone again.

* * *

**Ahhhh heres the update! Sorry its been a little longer than usual guys, exams have been going on and I have been drained.. so drained! This is dedicated to SkittleMachine who has been a great friend to me! Thank you, you AWESOME PERSON! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed and heres the replies to the reviews on the previous chapter:**

**LovingTLB- Yeah.. I was in need of a hot cocoa after that chapter- weird thing is I don't even like it! Hehee, I had to have Sam say that bit! I was thinking of 'Wait until Mom finds out buddy! and it was like, 'yeah he's gonna say that' :3. OMG DO IT, PLEASE SAY THAT. IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS! I know I wouldn't see you do it but I can imagine it! Oh no, Michael wouldn't hit her. He was just angry at Sam. PANIC NOT! I don't think anyone likes assy Michael.. but he's cool now! Ahahaa, the cocoa controls all :') and yeah, Alans a little kid at heart:3 Once again- PLEASE DO THAT FOR HALLOWEEN! I WILL LOVE YOU FOR AN ETERNITY IF YOU DO THAT XD anyway, heres your update and hope you enjoy! **

**booklover457- Sorry hun, no blood lust in this chapter! Love the idea though! **

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: Did I ever mention that I love your user name? Sorry random little thing.. but I do! AND YUSSH! WHOOP MICHAELS NOT AN ASS ANYMORE! But is David gonna? Or is he not? Is anyone gonna find out that Dwayne is alive, or shall it remain Star and Sierras little thing? Hmmm.. keep on reading to find out! heres your update and hope you also enjoy! **

**Skittle Machine: Why thank you :3 Hahahaa, glad you like Sierra and Dwayne! Hope you enjoy the chapter! :D **


	10. A Sea of Roses

Strolling along the beach hand in hand with Michael, it is secluded for just us two and I can feel the tiny grains of sand slip through the spaces in between each one of my toes as if they wish to suck me into their lair of suffocation, but Michael once more is my hero, saving me with every footstep we take. The sand that had been heated throughout the high temperatures of the day has now chilled to a pacifying coldness. I look up at the sky, vast extensions of velvet covers have replaced the glorious sun lit sky and the sensational stars are encrusted all along it, dotting along the magnificent night in an irregular pattern. It's stunning; how they were created I shall never know. I don't desire the knowledge of how that piece of beauty was formed. I just want to marvel at them whenever I have the opportunity. Each fragment of life on this planet whether it be a human or a blade of grass has a time limit before they have to go, so I will always believe in living life to the fullest and taking advantage of its artistry while we have the chance to. The rippling sea wave's crash together to make an explosion of cerulean water that arises into the air before spraying back over the majestic waters. After the harsh wind dies down, all that can be heard is the gentle touching of the embrace between the two colliding ocean waves, the screams of the cheerful souls at the Boardwalk that are far away in the distance and the crunching of the sand when our feet crush it. The entrancing moon shines low tonight, its large and circular shape appearing more detailed with each wound made by meteors clearer. It amazes me how the moon is so injured with craters, yet it still dazzles brightly in the sky like a perfect diamond. The moon reflects onto the blue waters, designing a shimmering scatter of light among the silken liquid. It truly is bewitching. Nature has so many ways of captivating my attention and all of my thoughts; no matter where I am the rareness of sincere nature never fails to mediate me from all of my worries.

All of a sudden, we stop. Michael's fingers progress their way through my thick coffee hair where the light of the silvery moon is magnetized to, shining on my graceful locks. My gaze is locked on his soulful blue eyes; an amorous sensation has indulged the both of us. His thumb strokes my wind beaten cheek tenderly. That thumb soon manoeuvres to my chin where he tilts it slightly as he encloses his face onto mine, lowering his head until he finds my lips where he gently presses a kiss. I can feel the blast of serene love as we bask in each other's ambiance. Michael's well-built arms bind around me like a knight, always protecting his princess. My body, heart and soul are engulfed into this one moment, overwhelming me completely. As Michael pulls back half an inch with his eyes still closed, I can feel his warm breath caressing my lips before he bends down again to allow his bottom lip to contract nimbly over mine. His thumb continues to pamper my cheek, as lightly as a hush. That surge of pure devotion to each other courses through our lips; only hours ago, I authentically believed that Michael and I were no longer going to forge ahead with our relationship, now it is like nothing ever existed. Like it vanished from our minds and the history of this earth. Michael raises his head and intently looks into my eyes. That kiss, though it lasted only for a mere amount of time, will linger between us forever.

Michael steps to the side for a second, removing his grey top and flinging it onto the ground. What is he doing? He traipses back over to me, cupping my jaw into the palm of his hand.

"You know I love you right?" I knit my brow together, I am quite wary of what he has planned as a smirk creeps on his lips.

"Yeah..." his smirk rises until both corners of his mouth are uplifted "Michael, what're gonna do?"

"Forgive me baby!" he chuckles; instantly after he says that he gathers me in his arms and slings me over me his shoulder! I look behind me; he is running into the ocean! I squeal with delight as the frosty waves touch my delicate skin. Michael laughs along with me, his smile getting broader as we travel deeper into the churning waters. So this was his mysterious location! When Michael reaches our destination in the middle of the ocean, the salty water hides away any evidence of my body up to my hips. My arms cling around his neck as do my toned legs around his hips, desperate not to disappear beneath the seas horizon "I'm gonna drop you!" he teases, I giggle hysterically at him purposely allowing me to slip through his strong hands before scooping me back up again.

"I dare you to!" I can feel that adrenaline rush of liberty streaming over me, I wink at him as a way of giving my consent.

Suddenly, all oxygen had been taken away as Michael delivers me to the universe where water acts as a parent to those who occupy it and if unfortunate, a deathwish to the people who don't belong. I keep my eyes open, the salt hisses in my eyes. Thoroughly, the ocean that sucked me into its pit has chilled me to the bone. Behind me there is a trail of thick darkness created by my hair and in front of me are Michael's denim coated legs, searching around for me frantically. As his back is turned, I rise up from the shallow sea bed and push down on his shoulders, forcing him to join me! After a short second of being down under, we break the surface in fits of laughter, finding it hard to retrieve our breath. I titter at a piece of wet hair that flops over Michael's forehead; my slim fingers soon put it back in its place. Michael does the same, tucking a lock of my hair that was suctioned across the left side of my face behind my ear. Our matching eyes fasten on each other once again. My chattering teeth soon halt and my numb lips regain warmth as Michael embraces my lips with his. His hands pull me in closer to him, sliding along my waist. It's total magic. My fingers trace up his moist chest where the sea had christened its water to his neckline, clutching onto it for dear life. The sandy floor isn't that far away from us but I rely on Michael somehow. I've been independent for myself all my life; now someone else has come along to proclaim the title of my carer. Ever since the battle, many people have arrived to take that crown from me. It's like heaven, a change that will never be reversed. All I need is Laddie and Delilah back and life will be harmonious. Dwayne, if I ever have the pleasure of meeting him again then I know that someone up in that inky canopy of sky is looking out for me, trying their hardest to make my life flawless.

A trickle of water flies up onto my face, I part my lips from Michael to look up at him; a smirk is stitched on his mouth.

"Payback time!" he assembles masses of the ocean together, shelling me in his manmade waves! I leap out of his arms, squealing joyously. I attempt to defend myself by firing back waves; mine are no match to his though! No matter how hard I scheme to defeat him, my uncontrollable laughter will always become my weakness "I'm not gonna let you win this one princess!"

"I don't think so!" I cackle, feebly sending waves his way "Ok! You win!" Michael whilst chuckling treads through the immersing sand over to me, my arms wrap around his neck and I rest my head on his bare shoulder that glistens under the moon. He smoothly moves his hands around my waist to my back, uniting us together in an adoring hug, generating a spark as strong as a gush of electricity. He cradles me in his arms, striding out of the ocean and leaving behind those calm waves overlapping each other.

* * *

Confidently, Michael and I breeze into the Boardwalk, soaking wet from our exhilarating escapade away from reality. We receive weirded-out stares from active members of the nightlife that makes up the majority of Santa Carla's population. I have Michael's leather jacket draped over me, covering all of my attire and my hair sleeks down my back, its voluminous strands finishing at the lower part of my torso. We are about to enter the fairground when Star and Jimmy's presences welcome us. I examine the both of them who appear flushed with bashfulness, and are only a few inches away from each other. I raise my eyebrow and a crescent smile escalates gradually.

"We weren't interrupting anything, were we?" I joke; Star and Jimmy exchange a shy look before moving their view to the floor "Jimmy?" He snaps his head to look at me. His cheeks glow with red, standing out like a star in the sky.

"What? Oh, erm we were just..." he desperately explores for an excuse to get him out of this situation from revealing the truth, my guess is that Star and Jimmy had just shared their first kiss or something romantic had taken place whilst Michel and I were gone "What the hell happened to you guys? Moment get too steamy?" I heighten my eyebrow at Star who sways from side to side with a microscopic grin stuck on her lips. Jimmy sniffs the air a few times with a bemused facial expression "Jesus, is that the sea I smell? Damn it, I swear if your hair doesn't smell like strawberries Sierra then Mike and I are gonna be having some words!" Michael and I just laugh at him; he walks over to Michael and throws an arm around his shoulder.

I glide behind to let the two men joke and change my pace to the same speed as Star.

"Wanna finish Jimmy's sentence?" I ask, desiring to know every detail.

"Nope! Wanna answer Jimmy's question?" she sniggers, lacing her arm around mine.

"I'll tell you when we get home" I wink at her before we accelerate our footsteps to catch up with the two men who hold an important role in my life "Any luck with Laddie?" Star mournfully shakes her head, my heart depresses. If only I had been taking care of Laddie that night, I shouldn't have gone to cheerleading practice. I should have been that parent that he craves for; instead I granted my teenage life to assault any mature part of me I thought I had. I can't dwell on that now, it's in the past. There is no altering the past, as much I hunger to just so I can force everything to be right again, that kind of change is extinct.

* * *

I open the door to my atrocious home where Star and I are greeted by Edgar and Alan standing in the doorway like clones in their uniform of army camouflage and arms crossed sternly.

"What time do you call this Sierra May Frog?" Alan probes, I part my lips to answer with only a little noise escaping.

"We thought you'd been drained by a bloodsucker! Do you know how worried we were about you guys?" Edgar questions fumingly "What the hell happened to you?" he goes onto exclaim, eyeing me up and down with extreme confusion.

"Got a little wet, that's all!" I reply, hugging the baggy leather jacket around my body for some source of heat.

"No shit Sherlock" Alan sarcastically says in a drone tone of voice, he soon notices Michael's jacket "Are you even wearing anything under that Sierra?" Edgar snatches a part of the jacket and snags it to reveal my damp clothes "Thank God for that" he sighs with relief and snaps the jacket back over me "Now come on, you guys go to bed. Its gonna be one hell of a day tomorrow" I don't bother to interrogate them on what they mean and just go upstairs to my bedroom with Star following.

As I enter my tip of a room, I see Dwayne's precious leather jacket neatly folded on my bed. I want to keep it safe, it's the only physical memory I have of him.

"I'm gonna go for a shower, I stink of seaweed!" I inform Star who nods in understanding and giggles at me.

"Ok, I'm gonna try explain to your brothers why we're late" Star tells me, that should be an interesting conversation!

"Good luck!" I chuckle; it will take at least a decade to get Edgar and Alan to believe us. I grab a towel and go into the bathroom. Hopefully, the smell of the sea will be cleansed away by soothing droplets of water.

* * *

With a beige towel bandaged around me, an arctic temperature makes all the hairs on my body alert. My window is open wide; I can't remember opening it, especially on a night as cold as this one. My gaze falls somewhere else, my eyes increase in size and my heart pounds rapidly. It can't be. It's gone, the leather jacket is gone. On my bed as a replacement is a singular scarlet rose with no thorns and its petals appearing so delicate and fresh. Dwayne. He truly has returned. He presented me with this unique beauty. It was Dwayne.

* * *

**Well that was fun to write! **

**I hope you guys enjoy, let me know what you think in a review. **

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: Hope you had fun watching Lost Boys, I'm pretty tempted to watch it myself now :') And yeah so I heard! They should bring David back! Ahahaa, you were right! Dwayne has made himself known, just not in actual human form! Don't worry about it, I have a kinda crush on all the Lost Boys and the Frog Brothers. And maybe a little one on Sam, his smile is just too cute! Hope you enjoy the update! **

**LovingTLB: I wish I could do that as well! As a replacement though maybe you should buy some strawberry shampoo lol XD Yupp, Mama Frog is one crazy person, as is Papa Frog but in an awesome way! Well since Sierra and Michael are 17, they won't be having little kids together until they're a little older :') Jimmy, River and Judd are legends:') if only they were real! Heres the update and hope you enjoy!**

**SkittleMachine- You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed and like I said- chu is awesomer. I'm not even sure if thats a word but.. oh well! I make up words every day! XD hope you also enjoy! **


	11. All The Answers

_Where am I? White cobwebs enclose around me in a trap, but I still don't know where I am. I try to scream out for help, no panic can flee from these cherry lips of mine. Only a speck of light can be seen from the microscopic crack in the rock ceiling, shadows are at the top of the light chain though, making it incredibly difficult to see any life._

_"Sierra..." a well-known voice muffles from outside the prison of gauzy webs, who is it? The mysterious person's fingers tear the frail material apart, a blinding light becomes apparent. I squint my eyes as I'm hauled into freedom "Christ Sierra, I swear you're always getting into trouble!" I fully open my eyes where the man's identity is revealed – Paul. Paul with his blonde hair that always reminds me of candyfloss and unnatural eyes soars me out of my frail cell "You can't be here" What does he mean? Why can't I be here?_

_"You can't... run now" its a woman's voice. Who is she? What does she want? Footsteps increase closer and closer; yet I can't see anyone. Who is this person? Does she mean me harm? The sounds of her feet colliding with the floor gets louder, she is almost here "Run Sierra" that voice, so hushed. The footsteps continue to increase in volume. What's going on?_

_"Please Sierra, go now. Baby, it's for your own safety" Marko swipes me away from Paul's arms and rushes towards the exit of the cave with haste._

_"Sierra..." it's her voice again. Where is she? Am I the only one who can hear her warnings? I can feel a warm sensation on my ear, as if someone is breathing on it. _

_"Leave. Never come back" _

* * *

Heart beating at a vigorous speed, sweat glowing from my pores and curiosity indulging my brain, I make my transition from the world of perplexing dreams to reality. The real world where nightmares invade. What were Marko and Paul attempting to protect me from? Who was that woman whose voice sounded so desperate for me to flee? I need to start to remember that these are only dreams; they don't mean any significance in my life. I haul myself to an upright position, only for the idolized rose to come into my view as it is neglected on the end of my ancient bed. I lean forward to take it into my slender fingers, twirling it around as I analyse it. A single rose, with no thorns to complete its perfection. I bring its elegant petals to my nose, breathing in its graceful aroma. I can smell hints of cigarette smoke; Dwayne had definitely bought this rose to me. I find it more than a coincidence that it has essences of Dwayne marked on it and when I found it, his leather jacket had mysteriously vanished as well. Last night with Michael was so faultless, and just as I thought I was on the edge of heaven, I was plummeted back down to hell. I had made my final decision, my choice was Michael. Now, every single thought I have is dedicated to Dwayne. I wish there could be someone to relieve me of all of this stress that has unexpectedly been forced upon me.

The first thing I did was call for Stars comfort as I broke down in tears of hopelessness; I am never going to find Dwayne. He may play these antagonizing games where he informs me he is residing in Santa Carla, however I know I will never see him again. I know that for a fact David will not allow it. Is he even with David though? Even if he is, Dwayne won't ever consent himself to meet face to face with me for the rest of my lifetime. I commanded him never to come back, never to see me again. If he loves me, he will follow that order throughout this life, the afterlife and the end of time itself. The second thing I did was press myself into Star's calming embrace, in beliefs that it would crush all my memories that fail to make me happy. The third thing I did was waking from that demoralizing nightmare filled with friends and strangers, to be greeted by the rose with all the fibres that join it in its bewitching structure consumed with adoration.

"Jesus Christ Sierra!" the door explodes open, Edgar and Alan have come to deliver me from my depressive pit I call a room; with haste I catapult the flower somewhere amongst the mountain of stylish clothing, I hope it fell there anyway "Its 9am! Get the hell outta bed; we've got some vamp slaying to do!" Edgar demands, casting various items of clothing at my face. I remove the clothing as a blockage of my vision and glower at them in disapproval, all they do is imitate me in mockery "Are you gonna get outta bed or what frizzball?" he asks, referring to the state of my hair. My estimate is that Edgar didn't wake up on the right side of bed this morning.

"You would've never guessed I saved your ass only a few weeks ago would you Ed?" I sarcastically question, Edgar glares at me – he hates being called Ed.

"Never would've guessed that I was the one who tried to save you from hungry gang of bloodsuckers for about three years, would you Sierra?" I narrow my eyes at him, he wins this round. I'll be prepared for the next where I shall triumph. Edgar storms out of the room, his face depicting a furious bee, leaving just Alan and I alone.

"Ignore him, you know I've gotcha back" Alan sweetly consoles me before chasing after his companion. I gather together the clothes that Edgar flung at me and unfold them so I can display them to my sight. I cringe slightly; all these items don't match at all! I should have known better than to trust Edgar's judgement. If it was up to him then there would be no flesh seen on me! I choose some more clothes of my fashion and depart into the bathroom. Would Dwayne sneak back into my bedroom to give me yet another cherished present?

* * *

I spent half the time in the luscious shower musing over the rose and the other half thinking about Michael. I do the same as I traipse down the stairs in my outfit of a pure black jumpsuit and a crimson oversized blazer along with my past allegiance to David hanging from my ear. As a caution though, I mask it away from my brothers and father with many strands of my nourished hair. I'm not backfiring back to David, I wouldn't do that in a million years; but I want to lure him into my trap by contorting his mind into believing that I am doing so. Like it was arranged, the three men of the Frog family twirl around and stalk me with their eyes as I walk the last few steps onto the trashed ground floor. I raise a groomed eyebrow at them.

"What?" there is no reply from their broadened mouths "What?" I repeat with more aggravation heard.

"You wanna wear something more...um..." Alan starts, I'm fed up with being treated like a precious diamond that all the robbers in the world are pursuing after. All I want is some freedom, some liberty to do what I please. I don't need to be protected for the rest of my life, I'm a strong woman and all the people in my life have seen her. Of course I like being taken care of from time to time but I should at least be granted to approve of my own decisions.

"More little girl like? Would a little tartan dress and my hair in bunches bother you? I didn't think so" Alan looks blankly at me and comes to his senses, realising I am in the right. Edgar however beams with infuriation.

"Well we're sorry if we wanna keep you safe from two vampires –"

"One vampire" Alan corrects him, Edgar pats him brashly on the back as a form of thanks.

"Thanks dude – one vampire from drinking your blood!" I know exactly who that second vampire who was quickly erased from Edgar's mouth is. Dwayne. For a moment there I got shocked, what if they discovered my terrible secret? Dad and I exchange a look, if we desire to attain the location of Delilah and Laddie, they have to comprehend everything that happened. I bite the inside of my lip, the past is arriving back to haunt me. Just as I knew it would.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and hope you guys enjoy! **

**SkittleMachine: Thank you! And yeah, I wanted something a tad romantic left behind for her :'3 **

**LovingTLB: Teehee Michael and Sierra are totes adorable! Thank you, I'm a kinda description freak, espicially when it comes to clothes :') Yup, he has an obsession with it, its safe to say ;) By the way- I loved your reaction to Dwayne and Sierra:') **

**damonadark-hunterfan69: Thank your for reviewing, favouriting and following! It's really appreciated! Hehe, I love how everyones shipping Dwayne and Sierra XD **


	12. Overcoming The Unknown

The wind violently scatters my thick locks around like they are a lightweight toy as it openly creeps through the car window next to my dad. Nothing is said between us, only the howling of the wind and my brothers chattering of their detestation for vampires can be heard in this awkward moment. I couldn't bring myself to unveil the truth of what really occurred that night in the bathroom. The kiss that kindled unknown romance, the freeing of a vampire – everything will remain hidden from them. My dad only has knowledge of Dwayne being alive, he doesn't know about him kissing me. If he did happen to come across that fact, I'm sure he will disown me.

"You wanna go for ice cream after this?" Dad asks me, for a second flicking his eyes to look at me before weighing all of his concentration on the road ahead of us.

"I heard ice cream" Alan quips like an alert officer with sensitive hearing on a mission. Edgar and Alan can never turn down ice cream, especially Alan who yearns for a bowl of heavenly vanilla ice cream decorated with chocolate sprinkles and rosy cherries at least twice a day "Dad...?" Alan exaggerates the title given to my father when we were all born; Dad knows instantly he is after something as he rolls his eyes.

"Yes Alan?" the reflection of Edgar and Alan's scheming grins in the mirror averts my engrossment on the everlasting forsaken road to Hudsons Bluff.

"If you loved us Daddy you would get us some hot cocoa as well?" Edgar pleas for in a childish and begging tone of voice; in the mirror I can see him begin to glower at Alan "Since Alan here, didn't care to share with his own brother yesterday!" Alan's jaw collapses drastically and a squeak of disbelief escapes from his mouth.

"I would've but it had marshmallows! I can't turn down marshmallows! You know that!" Alan defends himself; I allow my eyes to slide down and I sigh in vexation, only for my hearing to be swarmed with the insignificant argument between my brothers over a cup of candied cocoa.

"All this over a hot cocoa huh?" Dad snickers, causing his disturbance of his two teenage sons disputing over something so irrelevant to convert into humour that they could do this.

"Ha! You should've seen them yesterday!" On the journey from the Emerson household to the Boardwalk, Edgar and Alan were muttering away to themselves, saying ludicrous things about each other. They were both aware of the gossiping but chose to ignore the lies and continue their conflict.

"Ok Edgar, if I get you a hot cocoa will you promise me this topic won't ever come up again?" Dad bargains with hope representing itself in his voice "Please? I mean, have you heard yourselves? You both sound like my mother when she can't watch that TV show she likes so much"

"I thought Grandma was dead" Edgar responds with his eyes narrowing in cynicism; my dad's eyes turn flimsy as he realises what he has just said.

"Do you want your cocoa or not?" with that, Edgar slumps his back on the backseat in vanquish. There is only one man who can zip the Frog Brothers mouths shut, and that's my dad "Good boy!" he then coos teasingly as if he were addressing a cute puppy.

"Don't push it" Edgar grumbles with his arms folded and his back slouched. Dad and I look at each other and let out a prohibited laugh.

* * *

We are driving at a dynamic speed when Dad without notice slams his foot on the breaks, motivating the senile car to become an inanimate object. My body jerks forwards in the direction of the glass windscreen, threatening to shatter it into a million transparent pieces but forces are grateful to me, yanking me backwards into the seat, my head sorely thudding it. As the primitive men of the Frog family blare their whoops, I sit back in astonishment with my chest expeditiously hoisting up and down. My face slants to the side to face my dad who has just finished trading high-fives of accomplishment with Edgar and Alan.

"You could've slowed down!" I splutter out due to my nerve system erupting in an overload.

"Nah, I like to live on the wild side of life!" the hooting commences once again as the boys charge out of the car with wooden stakes in hand and army camouflage backpacks to pair with their costumes, devoured with canteens of holy water and plastic boxes filled with garlic. Like it is a regulation, they examine the insides each other's backpacks to be double sure they have every weapon that has high potential to annihilate a vampire.

I step out of the car next, observing the only people in my biological family who care for me erratically explore the depths of their bags.

"Right, I think we've got everything. Now huddle up guys, I wanna say something" we abide by Dad's request and form a circle consisting of the four of us with our arms binding around each other securely and heads knitted close together "I've been thinking over these couple of days, I've been one hell of a shit father to you guys and I wanna tell you all that I love every one of you. I may have seemed like one high dude, but I was worse before I had kids. I owe my life to you three; you saved me from a worse turn in life that could've drove me off the edge. Recently I've watched you all do your thing and by God I swear that I'm the proudest man alive because I can call you all my children" I can feel an overpowering surge of happiness inside of me that starts to construct crystalline tears in my eyes "Now sons, you go over to the entrance, I need to talk to your sister. We'll be there in a minute" he ruffles my two smiling brothers hair before they depart.

* * *

Dad genuinely sighs with meaning as he guards Edgar and Alan's footsteps to the gates to eternal punishment.

"I never got the opportunity to say thank you, to you Sierra"

"What for?" Dad rotates around, a solitary tear streams down his cheek before finding a sanctuary in his lurid beard.

"For being such an amazing person, for being the parent I could never be to Edgar and Alan, for saving me from a far worse fate" he advances closer towards me, imprinting his shoes pattern in the dehydrated dirt with each step he takes and lightly strokes my cheek with the back of his dry hand "I can't believe this is my little princess I'm looking at, you've grown from a pretty little kid playing around in the sand into a stunning woman whose head of the cheerleading squad and getting straight A's. I remember when you were born, with your mop of dark brown hair and your eyes, God Sierra your eyes were magnificent! I'd never seen that shade of blue before in my life. I knew from the moment the doctor placed you in my arms that you would grow up to be somebody special. Looking at you now, knowing you've made something of your life, I can say I was finally right about something. Like I said, I've been watching you guys for a couple of days and when I saw you with Michael, it finally made me realise that my little girls gone for good. But that doesn't bother me anymore, because a beautiful, mature woman has taken her place and I have the honour to call that woman my daughter. Sierra, you've made me so proud and I'm one of the luckiest guys on this planet to have you as my child. So thank you sweetheart, thank you for everything"

Immediately I launch my arms around him and burrow my head into his neck. His arms complete our immaculate embrace, the embrace I have been longing for so many years to happen. That sincere monologue meant the world to me and it has finally settled the carnage of hatred that we have been enduring for what seems like forever "You've made Michael one hell of a fortunate guy, he'd be an idiot not to see that" I will always be my dad's little girl, I may not appear it in physical form or feel it emotionally, but that little girl will forever his heart "I'm so sorry for the shit I've put you through Sierra, you haven't deserved any of it"

"It's alright, forget about it. I've got the dad I've been wanting now" I brush a kiss on his matted curly hair. He pulls away from me and smiles, then kissing my forehead one singular time with all the love he has in his body.

"And that dad will be here for the rest of your life. Now, come on we better go if we wanna get ice-cream after this!" a grin automatically surfaces my lips as we sprint over to the jagged entrance to the depths of chaos "Let's do this thing!" he yells boisterously as if he is having the time of his life. We all hoot ecstatically, barging into the unknown.

* * *

I hurriedly remove my blazer and chuck it thoughtlessly onto the ground. I manoeuvre desperately around wreckage of what used to be a exquisite hotel lobby to see even a tiny scrap of evidence that Laddie was here. There's nothing to my demise.

"No sign of him here" I sigh in gloom, and then I remember yesterday. Dwayne, that passageway he fled down. When I discovered myself in the oceans lair, I never investigated further to what was beyond it "Edgar, remember where all the guys slept?" Edgar's facial features inform me that his memory is a little hazy, forcing me to dwell upon a certain friend of mine whom he staked in there "Where you staked Marko?" a glorified smile emerges on Edgars lips, commemorating his achievement; he nods at me as Dad pats his back with extreme cheer gleaming from his face "Not so far away from there is this passageway, I went down there yesterday and there's this pool and across it leads to somewhere else. I say we look down there"

"I agree, come on guys lets go" Dad gives his consent for all of us to travel through the archway to the anonymous horrors waiting for us. Will this be the day we can bring my baby boy home? Or will it be the day that concludes with heartbreaks? There is only one way to find out, and that's to accept the challenge of encountering my fear of the untold future.

* * *

**Thanks for reading guys, don't forget to review, it gives us authors inspiration! :D  
****Replies to the reviews for the previous chapter:**

**Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: Thank you! I just had to have Dwayne leave a rose for Sierra :D I do love Edgar :') hope you enjoy the update :) **

**SkittleMachine: Thank you :) hehee I'm not surprised, Dwayne is quite hot :') heres the update! Hope you also enjoy! **

**LovingTLB: Thank you! Edgar's a legend, theres no changing that XD hahaa, yup Sierra will definitely have to move that booty if they find out :') ahh, that made me laugh :3 hope you enjoy this update :) **

**ThinkPinkThink80's: Thank you for the reviews for this story and the last one! I really appreciate it! The names were inspired by River Phoenix :') hope you enjoy this chapter as well! :) **


	13. Him

My eyes are fixed on him; Marko lays there decaying away into nothing. Thank God in my dreams I can see him in a finer form where maggots aren't corroding his being. I miss not being with him in the night, along with Paul and Dwayne. I miss their little antics that made me giggle contently until it hurt.

"Ok, we're gonna split up. Alan you're with me, Edgar you go with Sierra down there" Dad shuffles through the inky puddles that have been created due to leaks through the gaps in the ceiling and lugs Edgar and I into a treasuring hug. I will never forget this embrace; it will be engaged with my memories for the rest of time.

"Take care of your sister for me Edgar" Dad can rely on Edgar to guard me, he has been doing it for a lengthy amount of time. Dad outstretches his arms and pats Edgar's back with pride "Stay safe son"

"I've got three stakes on me. If any bloodsuckers come near us, it's gonna be a bloodbath of garlic haters" Edgars gruff voice declares.

A half smile creeps up on Dad's mouth as Alan provides Edgar with a clear packet that contains numerous petite candies with a marshmallow dressed as a sailor on the front in the colours of navy blue and white.

"I can't take this man, I know you love marshmallows too much" Dad and I desperately strive to keep in our laughter, covering our mouths tightly "It's too much of an honour"

"You mean more to me then a packet of marshmallows Edgar, you're my brother" Alan ceremoniously announces with pure earnestness; though the talk may seem incredibly dramatic and quite childish, I can feel tears construct in my blue eyes from the love this family has flourished to each other today. Edgar and Alan are as close as any brothers can be; today they've revealed that they are more inseparable than what I thought they were. It makes me proud; the relatives I once loathed are becoming the most loved people in my life. I can trust them; I can love them at last. Edgars bottom lip trembles slightly and he hauls Alan in for a brotherly embrace.

"I freaking love you man!" Edgar exclaims, Alan clasps his arms around him "Join in guys, I'm in the mood for family lovin'"

"Woah, Edgar have you been in my room? If you have, I know what you've sniffed today to make you so mushy!" Dad chuckles as the both of us unite the family back together in what could be our last bonding session. If David is here, then he will stop at nothing to deliver me back into his disastrous claws.

"Shut up, I'm having a moment" Edgar smacks Dad's nose effortlessly whilst his head is still harboured in Alan's shoulder.

I can see Alan is getting anxious to explore what he didn't have a chance to view the last time he was here due to a certain vampire chasing us for the revenge of his friends' murder.

"Edgar? You can let go now" Edgar doesn't budge, despite Alan's best efforts. I'm about to move away when Edgar grips his fist around the black fabric of my jumpsuit and jerks me back into the hug.

"Stay right there fangbanger I'm not done yet" mine and my dad's cheeks burn up, the both of us acknowledging that Edgar is associating the crude nickname with what proceeded between Michael and I. Alan's eyes peer around the dark cave in search for a distraction so Edgar would release us, whistling a straight tune as he does so.

"Oh my God! It's the attack of the bad-breathed blondie!" Alan bellows in mock-horror, creating the facial expressions to go along with it.

"Where?" Edgar instantaneously jumps 180˚ around and poises his wooden stake in a terrorizing manner with his knees bent, feet more than a shoulder width apart and eyes lurking around the room for a glimpse of his enemy.

"Ok let's go" Alan promptly commands in a witty tone before him and Dad vanish into the former chamber of the dead. Edgar isn't aware of this as he is still cautiously examining the room with his eyes narrowed. I roll my eyes, grab a fistful of his camouflaged jacket and drag him into the passageway to where I'm hoping we will be led to my baby boy and Delilah.

* * *

The bottom half of my jumpsuit is drenched in the leftovers of the seas sparkling blue waters and my scent has transformed from sweet flowers into a tangy salt aroma. Edgar tentatively ambles in front of me with gooey strands of seaweed draped over him. According to him, it would give him more camouflage.

"Shit, this place to bloodsuckers is like what Greasy Pops is to me when they do Friday specials. Heaven!" Edgar grumbles, all of his thoughts are alert to trigger any noise, movement or smell that comes across as suspecting. This part of the cave isn't any different to the other places in appearance. Its dark, rocks in different sizes are scattered where there is any free space and deluged in water. The secret ocean is up to my hips, David couldn't possibly be here. He despises water.

Abruptly, Edgar stops and barricades me from carrying forwards with his arm. I wait for attentively for his next command.

"What is it?" I question, worry surges over me. What if David is here? As much as I desire to hunt him down, I can't bear the thought of facing him again. Edgar is quick to silence me, craning his neck to increase his vision "Edgar, what is it?"

"Shut up!" he hisses, I immediately shut my mouth. He comes relaxed, dropping his arm to his side to remove the blockage that is preventing me from going deeper into the oceans depths "God I need to get glasses, I thought I saw a –"

We both gasp at the same time. There is a massive wave coming our way!

"Holy shit! Run! I mean swim!" its too late as we are both dragged down below, shortly coming back up to the surface, choking on the rejected salt water "That tide's coming in pretty early, we should go back unless we wanna be buried with the fish" Even if David kidnapped Laddie and Delilah, he has the intelligence and a morsel of decency left in him to shelter the both of them from the oceans trap of death. I just hope that little bit of good in him is keeping them safe.

* * *

I sit down in the red booth with my hair tied up in a messy bun and a denim acid washed rag tied around my head, along with an outfit that consists of a cropped black sweater vest that swamps on me, floral stirrup pants and white granny boots. The males of my family watch me swirl the pool of melted strawberry ice-cream around in the multicoloured bowl with my plastic spoon, awaiting my next mouthful.

"It's September 1st 1987 and we're bringing you the latest news of Santa Carla..." the monotone voice of a man informs us on the radio that is placed in the desolate corner near the friendless jukebox. What latest news is there? Everyone in the town knows what the current update is already without the man having to even utter a word – more missing citizens. It's a miracle how Santa Carla stays fresh with life what with all the disappearances.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Alan probes, licking his lips hungrily for the ruined delicacy that's remained untouched since the blatantly spiritless waitress in her luminous pink mini-dress threw it in front of me.

"It's melted, Alan" I point out, he's already recognized this but it won't put him off. It's ice-cream at the end of the day, whether it's solid or liquid, Alan will eat it.

"Like I care! So can I?" I shove the bowl over to him where he immediately slurps the liquefied ice-cream with his spoon "Oh shit! Brainfreeze!" Alan grasps onto his head, rocking back and forward in pain.

"Language Alan" Dad warns in his serious murmur that I rarely hear. My dad really is becoming that parent the Frog siblings have craved for all these years.

"I mean gosh-darn it! A brainfreeze is ailing me!" Alan sarcastically replies, sounding as if he's in agony still "Do I look like I'm from the 1800's to you?" I angle my head to look at the oversized clock; it's nine at night already.

We had no luck finding two of the dearest people in my life; I don't think I can be parted from them for much longer. All Alan and Dad found were rotting corpses from the earthquake eighty years ago, still dressed in their fancy furs and designer clothing, and a packet of cigarettes that had been bought a long time ago. I let out a deep sigh, exhibiting I'm bored to death. Dad catches onto this and gestures that I am excused.

"See you guys later" they bid me farewell, ordering another serving of sundaes as I leave. I remember Michael, Jimmy, River and Jude arriving earlier to tell me that they were going to be performing soon. Knowing the three rebels, they have most likely lured Michael backstage to introduce him to their enchantment of alcohol.

* * *

The two kinds of smoky clouds released into the air are undeniable. I've been brought up with those smells all my life – cigarettes and pot. Another odour materializes in my nose, its stale and once again, indisputable to my intelligence. As I ascend closer to the backstage room where I have been countless times, the heavy rock music and irrational chatter becomes even more clamorous and the troublesome fragrances intensify until they indulge my sense of smell completely. Suddenly, a large figure thrusts me out of the way as he stomps past in a fit of rage.

"Damn kids... always drinking and smoking" the security guard who despises the very sight of Jimmy continues his trail of fiery rants about the group of young teenagers enjoying life as he descends out of my vision and down the hallway.

I snag the black curtain that is a blindfold to all the deeds of drugs, making out and alcohol that occurs behind the scenes of the talented musicians lives. It wasn't just the musicians who did this, there are usually groupies and friends who hang out in the hidden room. The removing of the curtain exposes the sincere state of backstage; there are more than several empty beer cans thrown inattentively on the dingy floor, quivering slightly to the beat of the music being blasted out through the monumental stereo. Each man and woman in the room has a partner that they can kiss until they are exhausted of them and can move onto the next person. The bulky smokes of combined addiction brushes the room dauntingly, like in a horror movie when something is about to jump out at you. As delicate as the smoke may appear, it immediately travels up my nostrils in an aspiration to suffocate me. My eyes rummage around the room through the many people in their dark attires to seek out Michael who is supposed to be here with Jimmy, River and Jude. I find my three friends situating themselves with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other.

My jaw decreases as soon as I see him. Nothing but ferocity of the purest form radiates throughout me. Blistering rage scorches up my veins and inside my soul is a savage volcano preparing to kill everyone with its poisonous gases yet I hunger for my tears to be set free. There is an illumination of fire in my eyes blending with the salty tears that wish to overmaster the seething flames. It's Michael, with another woman conjoined to his lips. Without even thinking, I seize the one of the glasses of water that are located on a wooden table and march over to him and the woman who he has now grown to displeasure him. Obviously like I have.

"Hey Sierra-Be – " Jimmy starts before I liberate the icy cold water from its prison of crystal glass all over Michael, who is now soaked in the liquid. The room rapidly becomes silent with no voices or music heard, everyone is captivated on this unexpected drama. The guys and Michael have the same stupefied expressions on their faces - mouths hanging open, expanded eyes and eyebrows heightened.

"What the hell are you doing?" I scream with each word burning on my tongue, Michael stands there taken aback at my sudden entrance. I scowl at the platinum blonde woman whose hair is thin and weak from all the chemicals that have been tossed on carelessly. Sniggers desert her bright red lips perilously and she stumbles around in the spot she is stood in, spilling the alcohol that's in the can she is holding over her bare feet. I know this girl to be Pepsi Harlow, she's on the cheerleading team with me and we've always got along like firm friends – until today.

"Sierra... I promise you –" Michael calmly begins his explanation to why he was kissing another girl. I'm not tolerating it, no more lies. I ceased my lies that kept Michael protected, now he is producing them all over again after continuously battling with me about it. I can't think of him to be anything else but a hypocritical man who I thought I loved. I still do love him, that's the grievous thing about this situation. I love him still.

"No Michael! I don't wanna hear it; I know exactly what I just saw!" I yell with anguish and heartbreak enhancing in my eyes. This is different to what happened between Dwayne and I, Dwayne kissed me and I attempted to fight his love off, but it was too strong and I was weak. Michael Emerson is not weak, he is far from the vulnerable state I was in that night. Not to mention, he hardly knows this woman!

"Sierra-Bear, she kissed him! This isn't Michael's fault" Jimmy interrupts, my eyes snap up at his gleaming face; usually his face brings a smile upon my lips but I can do nothing but glare.

"You're defending him?" I rasp in abashment, I can't believe he is shielding someone who has just broken his best friend's heart. I feel a condoling hand on my shoulder, I look up to see River by my side. Is he the only one who can find the courage to aid me during this?

"Sierra, please just listen to me for one second" his voice is getting more agitated, as am I.

"I'm tired of listening to you" with that I twist around and turn my back on Michael before leaving him and the muttering crowd of gossipers behind me.

I was halfway to paradise, and then it morphed into something so heinous, so horrible that I can't bear to even think about it. I can hear Michael, Jimmy, River and Jude frantically calling my name with the exception of Jimmy referring to me as Sierra-Bear. That nickname that once made me giggle with joy just makes me fill up with boiling fumes now; he doesn't have the right to call me pet names after what he had just done. I ignore the men who summon me and keep my back turned on them.

"Sierra you're acting completely insane about this! Let's just sit down and -" Michael incarcerates my arm and hastily swivels me around.

My patience has emptied from my body. The words that stream out of his mouth reach an extreme new level of outrage. The time bomb inside of me has finally ruptured, unleashing a new kind of hell that no one has ever seen before. There isn't even a second where I pause to think, my hand immediately darts up and whips Michael across the face with all the strength I have in me.

"Ooh!" the guys hiss as they halt in their steps, clutching their cheeks and biting their lips as they feel his pain. A cremating sensation tingles in my palm and fingertips. Michael's cheek and my hand sport the same colour of glowing scarlet. I can feel my eradicated heart pulsating at the speed of light in that hand. Michael pants heavily as he lightly touches the red mark stained on his cheek. After glowering at him, I persist my way through the jostling crowds. He still won't relinquish, stalking my every move whilst barking my name.

I have no remorse for slapping him. I can't have any, not without having the deepest urge to fling myself in his arms and kiss his cheek better for him. Only a day ago I thought Michael and I were composing ourselves and picking up all the pieces that went down the wrong route. When we were in the sea splashing each other playfully with our waves, kissing with the love that rekindled us and just adoring each other, I never thought that within twenty-four hours we would truly be finished. As I stride, the necklace Michael gave me bounces up and down with every footstep I take. It wouldn't be right for me to keep this, as much as I honour it I have to let it go. Somehow I believe that if I am rid of this necklace then I am free of the affection I have for Michael that is fused to me. I rip the metal chain from my neck and launch it at him; Michael instantly bends down to gather it in hands like it's an idolized piece of art that costs all the money in the world. A singular tear rolls down my porcelain face, representing that everything Michael and I had together has evaporated into history, never to echo in the future. He hurriedly walks over to me and wipes the tear away. I can't help but look into his startling eyes that cause me to relish a new start between us. We've tried that, and we failed. He failed – he failed me.

"Sierra... don't do this" his husky voice quakes as does his fingers that stroke my cheek. The first name that springs into my mind is David. I know he is begging but it's like Michael is attempting to control me. Just like David did. I gently move his fingers, banishing them from ever touching me again.

"You're not David, Michael. Stop trying to act like him" I whisper tenderly, I still care but it's over now. One more time I revolve around with the hot beads of sorrow trickling down my face. Michael and I are over.

* * *

The night sky isn't as comforting as it once was; the white gemstone coated canopy is masked by grey clouds that threaten rain to be plunged down onto the whole of Santa Carla. The frosty air encircles me and breezes harshly on the wet trails of former tears that persist to begin their cycle again.

"You shouldn't be walking around a dangerous town like Santa Carla on your own Sierra, God knows what trouble you'll get into" my feet are chained to the floor. My hearts pulse activates to a speed I've never experienced. The vivid voice causes images of its owner to flash through my mind. I can't dare to turn around.

I know for a fact – it's him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading guys, hope you enjoyed. This was a pretty awesome chapter to write, and there's more awesome chapters to come!**

**LovingTLB: Hahaa awesome :D Edgar and Alan were made to have these arguments, I love it because there's so much humour you can write with them:') hope you enjoy this chapter :) **

**SkittleMachine: Hahaa, yupp Judd has chilled down now:') hope you also enjoy the update!**

**MadeInThe90's: Awwh thank you! Here's the update, hope you enjoy! :) **


	14. A Lovers Fate

I can't believe he has returned. After a prolonged wait, he has finally returned, becoming visible from his veiling shadows. That sonorous voice that I have been thirsting to hear is back. Yet, I can't even turn myself around; I can't challenge myself to make that move where I will have to gaze into his eloquent cocoa eyes, then it will lead onto the vanquishing touch that will only make the incensing guilt inside of me worse. More crisp tears model themselves in my eyes as I continue my footsteps, only for his to follow me. It's like he can sense the precise blue feelings I'm experiencing. I can't believe I'm walking away from him, abandoning him behind. I just want to break these rusty chains that withhold me from running right into his arms, but these chains are permanent.

"Sierra-Bear! Where are you?" thoughts of what Michael did to me flood back into my mind, Jimmy is hunting me down "Come on we can have a hug and sort this thing out!" I would like nothing more than to cling onto Jimmy right now, his hugs always make me feel alleviated from my strains "Shit, where the hell are you Bear?" his voice manifests concern, but if I go back then I have to see that one person who is hovering around me. I will be forced into his seductive trance and I can't allow myself to do that, it'll be just another heartbreak to add to my collection.

I descend down the set of stairs just a little bit away from the Boardwalk that make the enduring journey to my home shorter, I am out of sight from any living being. But not from the dead.

"Sierra, don't be scared of me" how can I ever be frightened of him? With those six words fully grasping themselves into my weakness, I immediately rebound my footsteps and thrust myself into his placate arms where I sob every tear I am capable to produce. Once I am in those arms, I know I can't ever unchain myself from them "It's alright Sierra, I'm here now. I'm back" I had imagined beforehand that his arrival would be in different circumstances; in my own dreams Michael and I would be blissfully together, Laddie would be free from any kind of danger, my family would be reunited together and Star wouldn't be afflicted with the combined emotions of worry and fear. Who was I to kid though? I should have known that dream would never come true, wishes like that are impossible to make reality in Santa Carla.

"Dwayne... Michael he... he" I weep with never ending streams of woe sprinting down my face "He..." I can't find myself to even mention what Michael did. What if Jimmy was telling the truth? What if Michael really didn't kiss that girl? What if I hadn't been so fuming and allowed my temper to cool before confronting him? Would we still be together if I had given him the chance to explain himself?

Dwayne just tranquilly strokes my hair, hushing me softly.

"I know what he did Sierra, and trust me, he'll pay for what he did to you" he whispers, I can feel his face leaning down on me and his hands manoeuvre their way to my slim waist. My eyes are locked on his eyes that have now slid down to a close. I can feel his summery breath tingle on my lips, just as they are about to meld together I slant my head to the side so he brushes my cheek.

He straightens himself at a gradual pace, his bear-like hands still situated on my waist and his bark eyes glow with puzzlement.

"Wanna get outta here?" he finally asks, erasing a solemn tear away from my cheek. A manageable smile surfaces upon my lips, giving my approval. A cheerful grin marks itself on Dwayne's mouth as he lassoes me in his arms again in a welcoming embrace "I've missed you Sierra, you'll never know how much I've missed you" I hunger to repeat his sentence, except removing my name and replacing it with his. Dwayne entwines his fingers with mine and guides me back onto the bustling streets.

"I'm gonna tell Jimmy I'm going home, I don't want them worrying about me" my instinct is alerting me to run as far away from Dwayne as possible, I can't help but to disregard it though. Dwayne wouldn't do anything to harm me; he even authorized me to take away his life just so he could keep me out of peril his vampire nature comes along with. So what would he have a justification to hurt me? That cautioning instinct looms over, it doesn't want me to ignore it.

"Ok, meet me here after you've told them" Once again I meekly smile, why does Dwayne seem like such a stranger to me? I'm not used to being with him by myself, before we would be joined with Marko, Paul and David. I'll have to adjust to just us two, now I've seen Dwayne in the flesh I highly doubt David has lured him back as his bait to snatch me. Dwayne and I briefly survey each other, our eyes making contact before I rip them from him and blend myself in with the rest of society.

* * *

I let my thick hair fall down to my hips like a coffee waterfall and untie the acid washed rag that is encircling around my head. What am I doing? I'm about to gallivant off with a man I feel like I can hardly trust at the moment, why am I doing it? The mixture of the lively chatter from the guests to the Boardwalk, daunting carousel music and the booming vocals of the live act are all that I can hear. As vain as it may seem, I know Michael is going to be with Jimmy and the others still so I peer into a glass store window and tease my hair, examining my rough appearance from all the tears I have shed. My heart automatically grinds to a halt when I catch a glimpse of Dwayne, watching over me. I spin around to look out at the scintillating sea, no one is there. Was it just a figment my overly disheartened mind had manufactured just to deter me? I finish scrutinizing my face and quest through the rattling crowd for those refreshing faces I am desperate to lay eyes on.

"Sierra-Bear!" it seems they have detected me first. Jimmy bundles me in an hug, his many strands of charcoal hair masking my forlorn face away from River and Jude "Fuck Sierra, I was worried to death about you" I surprise myself by roping my arms around him, I'm in complete despair. I want Michael back but at the same time my only ambition is to avoid him at every cost.

After my reaction, I'm positive he has a mutual agreement. Self-condemnation is congregating over me; I shouldn't have treated Michael like that. I had no right to tarnish him with the same name of the man who once supervised and dictated every breath I inhaled and exhaled, every footstep I took and every word I muttered.

"Stay right there Bear, I'll be back in a minute" Jimmy advances into the crowd of everlasting dancers after placing a rash kiss on my forehead. River and Jude shelter me in a soothing embrace, repeatedly asking if I am alright. I reply with what they expect me to answer, when really inside I'm prevailing in nothing but a churning fire. It is the guilt of what happened weeks ago scalding me.

"Sierra!" its Michael.

Michael rushes over, almost instantly inspecting my face with his fingers to check if I have been hurt. He takes an incredibly detailed note of the tainted ruby lines where tears once sprinted down.

"God I thought you were hurt, nobody knew where you were" he coaxes me into yet another hug, my arms are nailed to my sides, I can't hurt him. I might as well have been a bullet slashing through his heart when I declared my final words to him. I slip myself out of his solacing contentment, exiling myself from it forever.

"I'm fine, honestly. I just wanted to tell you all that I'm going home now, see you guys later" I feel a sweating hand clamp around my arm, the compression of it denying me to get closer to the exit.

"Not by yourself, it's too dangerous. I'll drive you" I need to get back to Dwayne; I can't leave him out there by himself waiting for me for a lengthy amount of time just so my ex-boyfriend can mindlessly ramble on about something I want to forget.

"Mike, Sierra's capable –" Jimmy starts; now he chooses to defend his friend.

"David's out there Sierra, and he's after you. He even said so himself that he's coming back for you" Michael overpasses Jimmy's interrupted fact and regions all of his attention onto me.

"Thanks, but I've gotta ride already" my endeavour to migrate from his hold blunders as it only tightens itself. This bitter end between us is a sign, informing me that Michael and I weren't meant to be. Not only that, I would never want to inflict the same heartache I am feeling on him. In the corner of my eye I realise Jimmy, River and Jude have retreated someplace else, most likely backstage "Michael please, I don't wanna cause another argument. I've done enough of that already"

"Baby, I don't care about the arguments anymore, I just want you" the pressurizing tears are building up, another thing I've done enough is crying, especially tonight.

"Michael trust me, you don't wanna have me again" I have to confess to him, Dwayne is in Santa Carla and there is a high possibility Michael will see him around. It's not just that though, I've cloaked the truth from him for far too long, it's time he knew exactly what I've been hiding from him "Remember I said I thought I saw Dwayne?" Michael nods to show his understanding, it's finally time I present him with the reason I have been acting so unlike myself, I just hope he forgives me "He's alive, I let him go that night. I never killed him"

Michael's grip unfastens drastically and his eyes dilate. Yet he doesn't appear as enraged as my mind concocted him to be when I exposed my deadly secret to him.

"He kissed me" the words just disgorged out my mouth without even planning what I was going to say "You don't deserve me Michael, you can do so much better" Pepsi Harlow's bleach blonde hair and foundation camouflaged face flashes in my mind. I wouldn't be shocked at all if she restores my place as Michael's girlfriend. Michael still doesn't look angry, as if he already had suspicions or the information "I've gotta go"

"No, don't go" he breathes, cupping my damp cheeks "I don't care if you let him go, I don't care if he kissed you Sierra, I just want you. You're right; I don't deserve you, only because you're too perfect. I was a complete asshole to you, yet you stayed. You have no idea how grateful I am that you stayed, I love you Sierra"

I feel that exact same way, I love him. But for his own sake, I am restraining the love I once had for him from flowing back into my heart.

"I need to go" Why does he still want me? All the debates he has to define why he loves me and wants be to be his again after what I have revealed are blemishes in my mind "Goodbye Michael" he finally knows that the love we once shared will never rekindle as he stands there, his eyes chasing after what was formerly his. Not anymore, as much as it aches for me to fathom reality – Michael and I are no longer what I desired us to be. We are finished.

* * *

As I burden myself into the glacial air, I see he is lingering still around the streets, his coal motorbike a decreased distance away from me. He apprehends my departure from the Boardwalk, leaping from the bike and racing over to me. To my awe, I run to him. Dwayne hooks me in his vigorous arms, smooching my nest of dark hair frequently.

"If you don't stop crying, I'm gonna have to tickle you like I used to" Dwayne jokingly announces, I giggle as I raise my head, dabbing the dewy patch I created on his leather jacket that he had stolen back from me "Come on Sierra" he pinions his arm around my waist "Let's get outta here, Chinese is on me" Dwayne places me on the motorbike before climbing on himself. I rest my head on his leather covered back and secure my hands on his waist to get comfy. After revealing my secrets to Michael, I feel as if I can have confidence in Dwayne again. It's one of those indescribable sensations I get sometimes for no apparent reasons "You ready Sierra?"

"Yeah, let's just get outta here" I mumble through yawns. With that, Dwayne revs the engine and we cascade into the forbidden night, relinquishing all those memories behind. I just hope they never reappear to hound me.

* * *

**Wow, got a lot of reviews for the last chapter and some for other chapters! Big thank you to: booklover457, LovingTLB, EvilFalconofDoom, SkittleMachine, MadeInThe90s and mickishai2000 for their reviews :D but also thank you to everyone else who has took the time to read :) hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D **


	15. Beauty Has Her Way

After we bought some Chinese food, the only human food Dwayne has been stomaching since it was introduced to American cuisine, Dwayne and I continued our thrilling adventure to a place surrounded by charades of the deepest mystery. The troublesome wind that gets more boisterous as Dwayne accelerates the speed of the bike, entangles with my strands of chocolate coloured hair. Thoughtlessly, I rotate my head to the left in order to see Marko pulling hilarious faces and attempting to scream jokes at me. To my upset, he isn't there. He'll never be there to ride alongside us again. Dwayne and I are the only ones left. David is still alive, but he shall never be accepted back into my life for the rest of time, even if he has morphed himself into the most courteous man on earth, he will never be able to win my trust over.

Dwayne gently clamps his hand and foot down on the two breaks that can halt a motorbikes movement. Then as he assists me down from my seat, it's his conquering touch that causes me to shiver. He regards this, elevating a corner of his mouth into a half crescent smile. As soon as my feet are placed firmly on the ground, Dwayne's arm envelops around my waist to direct me over to the edge of the cliff where blades of supple green grass lean in the winds breeze.

"Thanks for the rose by the way, it was really sweet of you" Dwayne bows his head sheepishly with a smirk rising on his lips.

"I got it from here, it was the last one. I've been coming here a lot since you let me go, it's quiet, peaceful, lets me get my thoughts together. You only a get a few people passing every now and then so no one really disturbs me" I take a seat on the bed of grass next to Dwayne and begin to look out beyond the cliff edge.

The majestic ocean shimmers as the moon reflects onto the horizon of deep blue and as it intensely thunders, white foam develops until it fizzes away only to be conceived again at the next clap that will be duplicated until the sun emerges from its slumber. That's when the rugged winds will cease - daylight. It's a serene atmosphere here, one very different from the restless one that is constant in Santa Carla. In the background, the clamorous noises from the Boardwalk have fled, only the sounds of birds chirping their merry song and the rolling of the oceans offspring can be heard. The stars twinkle gently in the raven sky like a valued jewel does when examined under a light. Nature truly is magnificent.

Dwayne passes me a white box with Chinese lettering on one side in the colour of blood when oxygen indulges it. I open up the package; steam creates a layer of condensation on my fingers from the minuscule gap that releases it. Instantly, I am hit with the smell of harsh soy sauce mingling with the numerous spices. I hoard a few grains of rice onto my spoon but before I can even taste it, Dwayne stops me.

"Come on, open up. I wanna feed you, you know like I used to" Before David's venomous secret was brandished, Dwayne and I always did things like this. He would feed me like a baby, pretending the spoon or fork was an airplane landing in the terminal. Marko and Paul would do the same but David being David, teased us all about the way we acted when together, I would just react by poking my tongue out cheekily. I open my mouth in order to receive the long strings of slippery noodles.

"Will you children behave?" a sudden voice scolds, an elderly woman in straight fitting pants and a loose teal jacket with asymmetrical stitching to contrast, stands behind us with a disgusted mannerism etching her face. Dwayne and I immediately snap our heads around to face each other.

"That's what they say when we're together!" we sing in unison, trying our hardest not to burst out into fits of spirited giggles. The urge to do so is too strong as I collapse onto Dwayne, the both of us laughing like a pair of hyenas. As our hysterics fade away, we kidnap each other's attentions, gazing into our different coloured eyes.

"I've missed this" I inform him tenderly, so quiet it's almost a whisper. Smiles grow on our lips at the exact same moment, like they were meant to be.

"So have I; I've missed you Sierra" I can feel the hawkish palm of his hand cup my cheek, his thumb grazing it with mild strokes. As he moves his thumb gingerly up and down my wind beaten cheek, all I can feel are tingles of warmth transferring from him to me "Michael doesn't deserve you Sierra, how he could do that with another woman is beyond me when he had you"

Yet another feeling of guilt flocks over me, what am I doing here with Dwayne? When I came here with him, I was assuming we would just behave like our normal selves, how it all was before. But now I have a feeling it will never again be how it used to. Too much has changed.

I am also on my most alert guard though; David could jump out and snatch me away from my human life once again, he could be anywhere. Dwayne won't allow any harm to come my way, not if he still has those same fond feelings he unveiled that night of the battle where it was the two of us alone, just like now. I wonder, will he declare anything else that is contained in his head? Or his heart?

I cough slightly and stare out at the grand waters again, watching the waves soothe into an amiable temper. Dwayne removes his hand and brings it to his side, then begins to observe me like I am something rare and fascinating.

"Michael isn't the bad guy" – I am. I consented myself to love two people at once, I should have known that it would end badly. When it comes to emotions such as love though, there is no controlling it for it has a mind of its own. It can be devious but at the same time can be the most exhilarating feeling known to man "I am" I repeat my thoughts, unleashing them from my brain and into the open. Dwayne snorts at me in disagreement, playfully chucking many blades of grass at my face. I giggle a little and backfire them at him.

"You're crazy if you think that you're the bad guy in this Sierra" he chuckles, tugging a singular blade of grass from its home and flicking it at me. It lands on my bare shoulder; I receive it and gradually pursue tearing it into sections. "Was there someone else? Did you love someone else?" a sudden rage of jealousy is shown in his voice as it descends into a deeper and serious tone.

"Yeah" I'm not going to travel very far with continuous untruths just to protect people from heartache. I attempted that with Michael, and it destroyed us, all because I adored him too much to admit Dwayne kissed me and to reveal that kiss began something I never thought would commence in my lifetime "It was you"

Dwayne's beautiful eyes of the richest shade of brown expand. What started as a petite smile transforms into a beaming grin. His hand manoeuvres to overlap my hand, his rough fingers consuming the gaps between my slim fingers. I bite my lip as I focus on our two hands, vaguely seeing Dwayne immersed by me through the corner of my eye. That satisfied grin is still there on his lips.

"Can I have those noodles now?" I ask to distract him, expelling his touch from me as I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear with the hand he had almost captivated. Dwayne inhales sharply, like he has just come out of bewitching trance and delivers some noodles into my mouth after teasing me by pretending to eat them himself. We laugh zestfully together as if it's the first time we have granted laughter to escape in decades.

I can't help but to reminisce over times like this I had with Michael though; catching a glimpse of the coruscating sea causes me to think of when Michael kidnapped me by slinging me over his shoulder before we initiated an entertaining war of splashing each other with water. The only thing that can mask away my memories is the joy Dwayne and I are sharing now. Only laughter can hide my pain.

* * *

The very second Dwayne and I arrived at the lair of those I once cherished, Dwayne's persona of a elated man who had made contact with an old friend for the first time in about a month vanished. I hover around what was formerly Paul's area, leaning on the dust attracting jukebox that Paul worshipped once upon a time until he was unwillingly invited to the gleaming stars. Dwayne rapidly examines the lobby, leaving no place untouched whilst sniffing as if he is an animal that has sensed the aroma of its pray.

"What's wrong?" there is no answer from Dwayne who is absorbed in solving what seems to be a problem "Dwayne?"

"Nothing Sierra, don't worry about it" I raise a sleek eyebrow, he notices this and gives his best efforts to persuade me that everything is fine by smiling "Honestly Sierra, everything's cool" and with that extra sentence he thought would condole me, he launches back into sniffing around "Stay there for just one minute" without getting a word in edgeways, Dwayne dissolves into the darkness of the once ambiguous corridor.

I fall down onto Dwayne's tattered couch and express an exasperated sigh. Out of the pure fact I have nothing else to do, I scan the room. There is nothing of huge significance that blows my mind away in here; I'm immune to the surroundings after visiting countless times. Then, the ancient wheelchair enshrouded with cobwebs that David used as his mighty throne comes into my view. When I came here this morning, that wasn't there, unless I hadn't paid as much attention as I thought I did. Still, my suspicions begin to arouse, what if David is here and is just waiting for me? Could Dwayne really be luring me back into the deception David never got a chance to complete? No, he couldn't be. He confessed himself that he wants to keep me out of danger. I'm just overreacting; the wheelchair was most likely there when I was here today. I must have overlooked it. I can't help but to capture quick glances of it now, something isn't right. Something odd has cast over the atmosphere that was pleasant only a minute ago.

"Admiring the wheelchair I see?" I gasp with my heart leaping over a million hurdles at the speed of light. It's only Dwayne, situating himself in the jagged archway to the sleeping chambers of the day with a smirk on his lips. "Feel free to sit in it! Come on, I dare you!" I yawn whilst tittering away; David would kill me if he ever discovered I had placed myself on his throne. Would he kill me anyway? I still have that instinct looming over me.

"I would but I should be getting home now, it's gone past 3am and I don't want my dad worrying about me" As much as my body explores, it can't find any energy. I'm exhausted from all the dramas that have occurred today.

"Why don't you just wait until morning? You look shattered Sierra, you should really get some rest" I don't want to have my father and brothers stressing about my location, especially after what happened to Delilah, that will just raise paranoia that I myself have been ransacked from them as well. "I promise to wake you up in the morning" Dwayne strides over and moves me slightly so my head is on his chest, it's so abnormal not hearing a heartbeat. "You're not in the right state of mind to go home now. Go to sleep baby, and dream"

I am too weakened right now to chide Dwayne for addressing me as something that a boyfriend would call his girlfriend. Instead, I allow my eyes to slide down, preparing myself to glissade into the healing remedy of sleep. My whole body begins to numb, finally teleporting itself into the world of dreams where I know everything will be ok. No worries, no fears, just calmness.

* * *

**Thank you so much to everything who has read, reviewed etc.. **

**A big thank you to:**

**mickishai2000 (sorry I made you sad on that last chapter!), Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan (I did a little happy dance as well lol), EvilFalconofDoom (I love your analysis by the way), LovingTLB (thank you, I loved your analysis as well!), SkittleMachine (hahaa here's another Dwayne and Sierra moment for you) and MadeInThe90s (hehee gotta love dem mixed emotions!) **


	16. The Instinct Lingers

_Panic. There is nothing but sheer panic. People running around in different directions, screaming until their voices wither, yet no one is here to cease their worries. I look desperately around the crowds of shrieking life to discover at least one person that I know. There is no one. _

_"Sierra!" its Marko! Immediately, Marko and Paul grab my free hands and dart across the horde that has reached the climax of fright, as if its liquid. "We need to get you outta here" I release my hands from their grasp and look at them in frustration. _

_"What's going on?" I interrogate, my eyes glancing from Paul to Marko and my hands placed on my hips. It's grown calm, too calm for my liking. How can something so alarming turn to something incredibly serene in a matter of seconds? There is no hysteric screaming, and as I peer behind my shoulder – there are no people. "Marko, what's happening?" _

_"You shouldn't of gone back with Dwayne" Paul suddenly informs me, his astonishing eyes plagued with distress and true honesty. He grazes his hands up my arms until they come into contact with my shoulders where his grips onto them securely. "We need to show you something" _

_Before I even have a chance to blink, we are at the Boardwalk where the life as usual is thriving and gleeful, the mood is very much the opposite of the one in the other location that is a mystery to me. The setting is abnormal though as everyone's movements are slurred and lazy like time has been severely delayed, with the only ones at a normal pace being Marko, Paul and I. What's happening? _

_"They'll freeze in a second" Marko alerts me, the people follow Markos' commands as they solidify – not breathing or blinking, they're just like statues without the cement draping over them. Paul and Marko tow me gently with criticality as if the worlds' deadline is nearing at a dexterous speed. _

_We travel through the dull corridor that leads to the indecent secrets of backstage that are very shoddily kept private. Marko scarcely chuckles at the spellbound security guard who has an incensed expression, most likely from dealing with Jimmy for the millionth time, pasted on his face. _

_"How the hell can that guy fit in this corridor?" Marko sniggers before transforming into a stern character that's a stranger to me. _

_Paul seizes the black curtain with the hand that isn't coiled with my fingers; to my confounded amazement, it's the identical scene to last night. The people are animate once again, there are no postponed movements and the music is blaring which indicates the sound has returned. There is only one thing missing – Michael. Paul stands behind me and binds his arms around hips, bringing his lips to my ear. Marko secures his palliative olive-green eyes on me with a reassuring smile on his lips and strokes my hand with one finger. _

_"You have a right to know the truth Sierra" Paul whispers before planting an individual kiss on my head. Am I finally going to learn the truth of what happened with Michael? I'm frightened to have that knowledge, what if he kissed that girl? What if she kissed him? Either way, I'm going to end up damaged. _

_Jimmy, River and Jude are being their usual selves, grabbing any alcoholic beverage in sight and just being lovably insane. They stand in the corner of the room with numerous girls flaunting themselves in front of them for the attention they crave for. Whereas River and Jude are extremely generous for the girls' presences, Jimmy appears uninterested and keeps his eyes on the beer can that's cupped in his palms. A grin suddenly lights up on his lips and everything else goes silent, the only noises to be heard are Michael and Jimmy's voices. _

_"Michael!" Jimmy cheers and welcomes Michael with that embrace girls are excluded from "Shit man, I'm glad you came along. Can't stand these girls at the moment!" Michael smirks and receives a chilled beer can from Jimmy's' hands. _

_"Oh yeah? Bet if it was Star you'd be cool with it!" Michael chuckles and sips a little bit of beer. Jimmy shuffles in his feet slightly and his cheeks blaze with the colour red. "I'm right aren't I?"_

_"Yeah... your right" Jimmy murmurs with his eyes fixed on his biker boots. A broadened smile emerges at a deliberate speed on his mouth "Hey, what about you and Sierra?" Michael repeats what Jimmy was doing when the same thing was implied as he stares at his feet with a faint smile marking on his lips "I ain't seen Sierra so happy with a guy before. You hit lucky with her Mikey; Sierra's one of those girls all the guys want, you know. I even liked her like that for a time! I mean c'mon, she's a cheerleader, beautiful, kind, smart, and popular. Who wouldn't? She's had quite a few boyfriends but I ain't ever seen her so happy with a guy like she is with you. You guys got somethin' there, I'm pretty sure it's gonna last a while" _

_With tears congesting my eyes, I peer up at Paul who promptly smiles at me, then nods his head in the direction of Jimmy and Michael to indicate that I should continue watching their conversation that includes only one topic – me. I do what he gestures and move my eyes onto the two men. _

_"I hope we do, we've had our ups and downs recently. In all honesty though man, I love her. I'm gonna give her this tonight" Michael digs through his pocket and produces a black box enveloped with a single crimson ribbon around it. Jimmy covers his mouth in stupefaction. "And no, before you ask, I'm not asking Sierra to marry me! It's just a little present. After what you told me today about how she's been feeling these past few days, I wanted to get her a little something to cheer her up" Jimmy snatches the captivating box from Michael's hands with care and opens it, peeking through the narrow gap. _

_"She'll love it Mikey! Knowing Sierra like I do, she'll love it" Jimmy passes the velvet box into Michael's dewy hands. He pats Michael heartily on the back as a farewell and returns back to River and Jude who are still enjoying the luxury of flirty girls. _

_That's when it happened. Pepsi Harlow captures Michael, spins him around before he can even comprehend what is occurring and yanks his head down to her chapped lips. Within a matter of seconds, Michael appears disgusted and wipes his lips from any of her extracts; Jimmy, River and Jude immediately dismiss the enticing girls and rush to his side. _

_Michael didn't do anything, it wasn't him. He's not guilty, he's innocent. _

_I blink once, there is nothing but a pure snow-white sheet encircling me. Paul and Marko have dispersed to a place I have no knowledge of. I'm alone. There is a sudden outcry of engines, but where are they coming from? _

_"You're mine" _

_He's back. _

* * *

"Sierra! Sierra!" I am welcomed back to the legitimate world with my name being cheered two times. I squint my eyes in an attempt to ward off the natural sunlight that is nonexistent. What time is it? The dream I had just experienced is forbidden from exiting my mind, confining itself there until I can dream again. My vision clears itself, and I tilt my head to some degree towards the entrance so I can identify the blend of colours drifting across the sky; peacock blue, coral pink and apricot mingle together to create the temperate evening sky. How long had I been asleep for? Why hadn't Dwayne awoken me like he said? "Sierra! Sierra!" a childs voice repeats in a joyful tone.

Is it who I think it is? I rip my sights from the tranquil sky that marks night fading in. An angelic face with chaotic light brown hair greets me. Almost instantly, a great overwhelming surge of solacing emotions uplift me as I throw my arms around the innocent I have been searching for and clutch him to my shoulder whilst granting tears of relief to pour out of my crystal eyes. That burdensome sensation of having someone dear to me vanishing has been killed after what seems like an eternity.

"Laddie, oh baby boy you're alright!" I weep with the feeling of happiness invading me; I release Laddies' head and analyse his grungy face that has been inflicted with patches of brown dirt. Like a mother would, I commence in rubbing the small filthy areas in order to reduce its appearance. Laddie has a colossal grin on his lips as if he has been anticipating my arrival to deliver him from the repugnant poison that is David.

"I missed you Sierra!" Laddie giggles as I smother his forehead in kisses. "Where's Star? Where's Michael? I haven't missed you and Michael get married have I?" I chuckle at his comment, but at the same time I can't help but to feel sorrow that I will have to admit to Laddie that Michael and I are no longer together.

"We can go and see them now; come on, let's get outta here!" I gather Laddie in my arms and gravitate his feet off the ground. We are almost out of this hellhole when a cough distracts me. With terror attacking all of my senses, I slowly revolve my head around my shoulder to see Dwayne. That dread lessens itself in a flash. "Dwayne? What is it? Come with us!"

"Sierra, please. I don't wanna hurt you" I can hear tears threatening to liberate themselves from his eyes just by the way his voice trembles, I should have listened to my instincts advice when it was alerting me that something was wrong "Give Laddie to me, please Sierra. I won't hurt him, you know I won't" he advances unhurriedly towards me, outstretching his arm so I can return Laddie to him.

"No. Why should I?" my grip on Laddie tightens and I glance at his petrified face that buries itself into my shoulder "Dwayne whats going on?" As quietly as possible, I take miniscule steps towards the stairs that I plan to sprint up very soon. I just hope my feet won't fail me when I run from someone who I once thought I loved.

"Sierra please, I'm not gonna hurt you. I love you Sierra, I can't harm you" a pellucid teardrop slips out of his eye and traces down his stubbly jaw. "Please, Sierra. Please give Laddie to me. I need you to give him to me. You know I won't hurt you, I love you"

"Oh cut the loved up shit, it's gonna make me throw up" that smoky voice strikes intense horror into every single sense that courses through my body. Laddie shivers in fear, I try my best to hold onto him as I feel my whole body wasting away at a rapid speed. He walks out from his sheltering darkness with a devious smirk and his eyes watching me. I hastily place Laddie back onto the ground.

"Laddie run!" I scream, before I can react myself, I am pinned up onto the wall, my head thudding the rock wall harshly "Laddie! Laddie run! Now!" All I can hear is Laddie wailing and shrieking in nothing but vexation from his phobias returning to kidnap him once again. "Laddie!" with the little strength I have left in me, I struggle to flee from the arms roped around me. My eyes open for a split second to see Dwayne comforting Laddie in an embrace whilst soothingly hushing him. His consoles don't work as Laddie continues to bawl and scream. "Let go of me!"

"Shh Sierra, your mine now" his bleak finger grazes down my rosy lips "You're with your brothers at last, like it was meant to be all along" I will not be defeated as I persevere to extradite myself from his chains with only the motivation of keeping Laddie safe fuelling my energy.

"No!" I'm weakening, I can't fail. Laddie must be protected.

"Don't struggle, relax" he commands me in a whisper. The shadows that represent my failure to win this battle are enhancing as my strength starts dying out. It arrives with only the sounds of Laddie's tormenting upset and that apocalyptic cackle remaining. My whole body reaches the ultimate weakness and the strength I had hoped would last has disintegrated.

As darkness absorbs everything, I can only think that he kept his promise. He was right – he would have me again.

David. David is never going to surrender me now. He has me. I am his.

* * *

**You guys have no idea how much I had been wanting to write this bit since I began writing this story! Ahhhh, wish fulfilled :') **

**Anyway! Thank you to those who have reviewed, favourited, followed and read! Yup, that's you guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter and the next ones to come :D **


	17. Judgement Day

_"Sierra!" Who is it? What do they want? Where are they? So many questions yet so little answers in this dark abyss. "Sierra!" It gets nearer and nearer with each beckoning. Will it ever cease to exist? Or will it live on for an eternity? I can identify a masculine voice; I know whose it is. But I can't think for the life of me the man's name. _

_"Where are you Sierra-Bear?" another voice hollers. It's deep and husky with a playful tone. Who is it though? I have all the knowledge of these peoples' names in my head but I can't trace them. It's like they have vanished into the thick mist that encircles me. "Come home!" _

_I can never go home. I must stay here. I am his forever. _

_"Sierra please!" it's the first voice again, what is behind his pleas "I love you Sierra, please come back!" I am clueless to who this person is but somehow, I love them with every fragment of my heart. This abnormal sensation inside of me commands me to love someone else though, but who?_

_"It's me Sierra! Please come back home!" the regular potent voice transforms into a female one that is engrossed with adoration. _

_"I'm not losing you, I've already lost a sister!" a rough voice yells, why can't I recognize any of the voices? Out of the chalky veil, numerous figures appear with their faces masked. They look so familiar; I just can't put my finger on who they all are though. _

_"Come back to us" they all chorus before the hazy cloak around their faces evaporates, everything suddenly becomes clear in my mind. The ones I love have returned to rescue me from my capturer. "We love you"_

_They begin to fade away rapidly along with the mist, I can't lose them. I can't. Whilst screaming for them to revert, inside of me is an insecure little girl scratching to escape. Where are my heroes? I've lost them. They won't ever return._

* * *

My crystal eyes lazily unfasten themselves to see nothing but crepuscular surroundings and two indistinct people. One of the figures has a waterfall of dark chocolate shooting out from their roots and flooding down to their lower back. The other with platinum blonde hair is slouching against the wall in a slothful manner. Their conversation sounds nebulous, like my ears have been stuffed with cotton wool. I slump my head back down onto a plump pillow I wasn't even aware of and slip my eyes to a close, allowing the world around me to spiral at an electric momentum. My whole mind is whirling into an infinite portal, where am I? What's going on?

"She's fine down there" its David, I knew he wasn't going to relinquish me. I'm his prisoner forever now with my polluted cell being his presence. Another voice mutters something, it's calmer, more consolatory and the pitch is higher than the harsh tones of David and Dwayne. I'm almost accustomed with it; my dizziness interferes though and causes a filter to generate slurred noises in my head. "I wouldn't put her down there if I didn't think it would keep her warm or all that other shit. I know you wanna keep her safe" David's voice roams again.

"I don't want Michael finding her either, David told you the plan" Dwaynes' voice rises up in a serious tone and sparks with envy. What plan? How is Michael involved in it?

"We all know Macho Man! Jesus, just 'cause you've been crushing on her for hell knows how long!" it that female voice again, I am intrigued to know who this recognizable voice belongs to.

"Piss off. You know how I feel for Sierra. I've been waiting for this for a long time" I've heard enough. I'm just going to have to investigate further until I unearth the truth. "Go get some food, I'm not having Sierra or Laddie get hungry" There are footsteps increasing towards me, when they halt I feel a sensitive finger skim over my polar cheek. That one touch of affection causes pleasant shivers to accelerate all over my body, followed by an earnest kiss on my forehead. It really feels like I have experienced that kind of kiss previously from the same person. I can't test myself to open my eyes though, not without having to face my demons once again. That warmth departs, leaving me isolated with nothing but cheerlessness.

"You can't fool us Sierra. Rise and shine!" David chuckles, his laughter casts doom over my whole future. I have to release myself and Laddie from his cage. Even if I can't make it, Laddie must be safe. That's all that matters to me, Laddie's protection. I groan breezily as I change my position, rotating my body from facing the damp rock wall to the opposite side of me and unseal my eyes to view Dwayne crouching down in front of me with a benevolent smile to greet me from my grievous slumber.

"You're freezing! Here" he whispers, concealing every bit of me, apart from my head with a coarse blanket that scratches my delicate skin. "That's better, you should warm up now" he places a supple kiss on my forehead, a teardrop lurches out of my eye and blunders down my quaking jaw where his hand soon cups. My tear dominated eyes drift up to intersect with his cocoa ones that are employed by a strong passion that not even David can shatter.

"Where's Laddie?" I ask, Dwayne swiftly removes his hand after brushing the teardrop away "Dwayne, where's Laddie?"

"Bring her the kid" David commands, his head gesturing over to the corner nearest to me. I race over to Laddie whose small body is sprawled out in the vaporous corner with nothing but a thin blanket shielding him from the glacial temperature, and drop by his side before Dwayne even has a chance to carry him over to me.

"Laddie? Baby boy, are you awake?" I shake him gently, hoping that his big, blameless eyes will open for me. My wish is granted as Laddie stirs, his disgruntled eyes adjusting to the ghastly environment. Laddie yawns and slumps on my lap; I begin to run my fingers through his light brown locks in an attempt to make him fall asleep again so he doesn't have to witness the viperous presence of David. Laddie's weak eyes slide to a close as he enters the safe world of dreams.

Dwayne sits beside me, making sure he isn't too proximate. He knows the enraged feelings I have for him at the moment; how could have I been so brainless? I shouldn't have trusted Dwayne for one second. It's only now that he has assisted David in my kidnapping that I finally realise why he returned. He didn't return because he loved me, he came back because of his allegiance to the vile demon that overrules everyone. I'm such an idiot. Why did I believe him? Why couldn't have I stayed with Michael? I should've had faith in that instinct. It was blatantly informing me something like this was going to occur. I ignored it though, all because I was too spellbound with Dwaynes' reappearance. If only I could flee from here with Laddie back to the invigorating refuge of the Boardwalk where we could hunt down Michael, Star and the others. I would do anything for that chance. It won't ever happen; David has me now – just like he promised.

"Welcome to the club again, Sierra. Miss me?" David inquires with that malefic smirk sending quivers down my spine. I scorn his ridiculing comment and focus on Laddie's head, only for David to commence menacingly chuckling. "Feeling a little feisty today, huh Sierra?" I'm not tolerating anymore of his mocking. I don't think I can take any more of it.

"Why the fuck would I miss you?" I spit, it took more than all of my courage to question him that. Unfortunately, my bravery doesn't conquer him as he continues to chortle at my ventures to be headstrong.

"What are you without me, Sierra?" David challenges, his eyes leering at me for a lonesome confession. All that boldness I had been collecting for this one confrontation drains out as quickly as water when dashing down a plughole. I'm starting to wonder what I am without him. For three years he did nothing but guide me, even if it was into a traumatic future. I relied on him like he was my honourable brother, then all of a sudden that brother, that good friend was gone. I bow my head in humiliation, he really has triumphed. "That's what I thought"

"Leave her alone David" Dwayne manages to sneer; I can just about view his fists contract, controlling himself from striking his master. Who will he choose though, the woman he claims to be infatuated with or his leader who is also his family? I already know who he has selected, yet I'm not disappointed.

"Don't get too worked up Dwayne, it'll give you a headache" David's voice orders honour from his servants. Is Dwayne really a servant though like I am? Or does he own me as well? I don't know any longer, I'm exhausted from hungering knowledge. I just want to be free of all of this. Sometimes I think to myself, what would have happened if I hadn't discovered their calamitous weapon against all of the living? Would their secret still be consigned to the grave? I shall never know, and frankly I don't care anymore. All I crave for is to be free and living an average teenage life. That's what I've been after all along. Right now though, all I want is for Laddie and I to be rid of danger.

"Whatever. Where's that food?" Dwayne snaps his sights up at me, examining my toned body; a humble smile surfaces on his mouth "You'll be able to eat soon; I've gotta surprise for you as well!" he then whispers. How many more ambushes does he want me to experience tonight? I think I've had enough surprises within this past month to last me a lifetime!

"Shit Dwayne! She's only just gone to get it! Jesus Christ... you can always have a drink for now Sierra, wine perhaps?" the metallic taste of that blood in the ruby embellished bottle invisibly spills back into my mouth. David is insinuating for me to become one of them once again. This was his plan all along – and Dwayne's. I should've known better.

It all makes sense now. Dwayne appearing when Michael and I had concluded our reletionship, the rose just when we had reconciled days before – he never loved me, he just loved the diabolical scheme to deliver me back into their clutches. Or does he love me? Now he's got me just where we wanted me to be, his odd kindess still lingers within him.

"Your blood, you mean?" I correct him, the only thing David can do his broaden his smirk to bare his now human-like teeth. I can feel Dwayne squirm a bit from the uncomfortable situation. Does he really want me to become a half-vampire? He fought to stop me from drinking from the crimson blood before so why not now? What's changed since last time?

"You always were a smart cookie, Sierra. Delilah was always telling us how you got those A's" Delilah – I need to find Delilah. What if turning into a half vampire is my only opportunity to unveil what really happened to her? Is she dead? Is she alive? Maybe this is the only possible way of finding out, returning to the dead.

"Where's my sister, David? I know she's alive" there is this anomalistic silence invading the three conscious people. David discontinues his immoral chuckling, Laddie's snuffling is the only noise heard and Dwayne stares at a specific sooty puddle. Mine and Dwayne's eyes glance up at each other, I can just tell he's imploring me not to persist with my questions for the answers I've been desperate for. I tear my eyes from his troubled ones and look back at David. "Well, David?"

"You're like a mother to Laddie, you know that Sierra?" my grip rigidifies around Laddie who is blissfully inattentive to the verbal battle. "I said did you know that, Sierra?" his voice grows smokier and deadly critical. I wasn't aware that his question wasn't rhetorical – they usually are.

"What do you expect me to be?" ever since I laid eyes on Laddie he has been like a son to me, he needs a mother figure in life. Especially when he was amongst a gang of unruly men.

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do!" I exclaim, where is this leading up to? I feel a snowy hand slither across mine, I can tell its Dwayne without even having to look once.

"Do you love him enough to die for him?" my heart creates its last beat dramatically and I quizzically raise an eyebrow. "Again Sierra, I'm gonna give you a choice. Either you join us or Laddie dies. Your choice" I don't even have to think twice about my answer. Laddie's existence on this earth is far more important than mine.

"I-I'll join you" I stutter with a single tear rolling down my cheek. David immediately leaps up with a joyous cheer and saunters over to me. He crouches down, our matching crystal eyes equal with each other. "On the condition Laddie goes back to Star before I do a single thing" my voice jolts with fear. I'm really going to transform back into that state once more – and this time it's permanent. David bites his lip in frustration, things aren't going his way. When it involves Laddie's safety, I don't care. Laddie will be going home with protection, and he'll be going tonight. I want him as far away from this monstrosity before he is hauled back into it.

"Deal, give the kid to me" I peer down at Laddie's harmonious dormant face; my maternal emotions cause my muscles to freeze, not enabling me to lift this innocent child over to evil. David's features become more infuriated "You gonna give me the kid or not? I'm not gonna hurt him, Sierra. We made a deal, remember? You're not gonna escape this time Sierra, not if you want the kid to live" the very thought of Laddie in that deceased state instantly makes me hand his dainty body over to David who gathers him up carefully in his arms and shrouds him with the abrasive blanket. After he winks at me, he departs with my baby boy.

Was that the final time Laddie would ever see me? I'll watch over him no matter what, I just hope he remembers my face. I hadn't even noticed Dwayne had arisen from his sitting position beside me until his face becomes imminent with mine.

"You knew all along, didn't you?" I interrogate; I want answers and I want them now. His face leans towards me, his eyes gliding down whilst I attempt to block him from accessing my comfort zone. I am once again outwitted as Dwayne's satiny lips press against mine for a split second before disentangling them. Numerous tears plunge out of my eyes, why is he doing this to me?

"You won't regret this, Sierra" and with that, he leaves.

I definitely won't regret this. If mutating into a vampire means Laddie is guarded from David's clutches – I'll die happy tonight.

* * *

**Ahhhhh, FUN CHAPTER TO WRITE! Thank you for the reviews, favouriting and followings. I really appreciate them. Please leave a review to let me know what you think, I kinda love your opinions! **


	18. Goodbye, Hello

It's finally time to part ways with my baby boy. I never thought I would ever have to yield him like this; this wasn't how it was supposed to end. Our lives were meant to take a different turning, a happy turning that would bring nothing but refreshment with the rare moments of downfall. David had to alter that though, he has to demolish everyone's optimism. But there is one thing specifically I thought would never happen in my life – Dwayne betraying me. He tricked me with nothing but counterfeit love and fictitious emotions into David's deceptions once again. How could've I had been so moronic? I should've known that Dwayne would do this. I shouldn't have ever trusted him.

On the way to my house, I rode with David since Laddie felt more comfortable with Dwayne. No matter how deceitful Dwayne may be, Laddie will always view him as a brother and a saviour when no one else is there for him. I didn't want it to finish this way, and it's my fault. Everything that's occurred within this month spirals down to me.

Delilah recommended me to stay clear of the boys so often it was like a personal routine. Why didn't I listen to her? There was a speck of faith inside of me that thought if I was associated with the guys, then I would be closer to finding Delilah. Another part of me coveted to be the identical of her, what with her indomitable personality. The other part of me just wanted to be closer to my older sister. If loitering around with a gang of disobedient vampires is what it took for me to be immediate with her unperceivable being, then I was going to do it. After a certain time, it wasn't about that anymore. They became like brothers to me with their generosity and softness towards me. All that morphed into something far from the opposite, they didn't love me. They loved the thought of having their merciless blood in my veins. The only thing they aspired to do was to transform me into a monster – a corrupt killer.

David's motorbike curves around a bend that leads to my house. I have been quailing over this grievous occasion ever since I made that one pledge that will distort my life forever. The two ominous motorbikes rush down the granite constricted road that consists of nothing but cracks like it has been pulverized by numerous cars; however this road has been placid since no one challenges themselves to drive down here. There are also barefaced water stains in a lighter hue, standing out like a star in the jet black canopy that invades when the sun has achieved yet another tour of the twenty-four hours that create a day.

"Stop here" David demands in a deep tone that will terrify anybody into resigning to his wishes. The brakes halt sternly, causing me to jolt forwards into David with a grunt. David heightens an eyebrow and slightly peers behind his shoulder, his features showing me he has been provoked. "Watch the leather" Once again, I evade his orders and simply avert my eyes onto Laddie who resembles a grieving widower, his face sullen and depressed. "Give the kid back now. Remember your promise?"

I can't even imagine what tyrannical scheme David has veiled from me if I escape with Laddie. I'm not going to drag Laddie down with me into my own misfortune. Laddie has the rest of his life to live; I'm not going to swipe that from him. He has so much innocence and not an evil bone in his body, his future is bright. Laddie should have that opportunity to embrace his future. I climb off the motorbike and walk at a hasty pace over to Laddie. Through the corner of my eye, I can see Dwayne preparing himself to abandon his bike in order to retrieve Laddie for me. Not this time, he did that a few days when it was least expected, when everything from the battle was in recovery.

"I've got him" I snap, putting myself to the test of trying not to make my speech sound too petulant for Laddies' sake. Not taking another glance at Dwayne, I slide my hands under Laddie's armpits, elevating him from the bike that he will have the pleasure of never situating himself on ever again, and pin him to my left side; Laddie lazily drops his head onto my shoulder and relaxes his eyes, drawing them to a close.

"Bye bye Dwayne" Laddie mumbles in a yawn, in response Dwayne smirks briefly.

"See you later, kid" Laddie reopens his eyes for a blunt second to wave goodbye to David. David with a flat expression repeats with impassive feelings. If it wasn't for the fact it would spark a debate, I would be scowling at David with all my might.

"Come on, Laddie. Let's go" I commence the lamentable walk to my house with the full knowledge in my brain that this will be the final time Laddie will see me on my terms. Every muscle in my body is urging me to sprint into the house with Laddie to discover a sanctuary away from barbarous villains, but my heart is resisting for the only reason being the savage consequences that I fear will inflict upon Laddie if I do so.

It shouldn't have ended this way. I'm to blame; I've chained everyone to this tormenting situation. I liberated Dwayne and he deliberately seduced himself into the enemy lines again. I can't dwell on it for any longer without subsiding into woefulness. What's done is done and it has one positive outcome – Laddie will live, he will be invulnerable. I stroll over to the side of my elderly house, it isn't my home anymore. Not after I complete the laborious initiation David is blackmailing me into. As I place Laddie onto the stubbly grass below us, he looks up at me with his celestial hazel eyes filled with perplexity.

"Sierra, are we going home?" I crouch down so I can be level with Laddies' height, examining his now overjoyed smile. "I can see you and Michael getting married, and I can see Star, and Edgar and Alan can read comics to me, and –" It's finally time to inform Laddie that I won't be accompanying him to the reconciliation.

"Laddie, baby boy, I'm not coming with you" instantly after I say that, Laddie's bottom lip shudders, the tears overflowing in his eyes are on the verge of releasing themselves and his whole lit up face contorts into heartache.

"Why? I don't want you to go!" he wails, catapulting his arms around my neck. With tears threatening to tumble down my cheeks, I loop my arms around him and grasp him to me solidly. "Sierra, why?" I wish to explain this entire reason to him; I can't bring myself to though for his own good. It'll be too complicated for him and I don't want to plague him with the truth of what Davids' plan for me is.

"Oh, Laddie!" I sigh with deep misery; he will never fully understand why I am making this sacrifice for him, even if I provide him with petite hints. That doesn't matter right now though; all that is worth any meaning to me right now is Laddie and his well-being. "It's gonna be alright, it's all gonna be ok"

"But it won't if you're not here!" Laddie bawls, each word shattering all my hearts fragments.

"Laddie, look at me" Laddie's tear-stained face rises up from its shelter and his wide eyes congested with newborn sadness stares at me, waiting patiently for my next words. "Laddie, me leaving is for the best. It'll make your life better, Star and Michael's lives better as well"

"But you and Michael were gonna get married in my sandcastle!" Laddie weeps, I chuckle at his naive nature, he is oblivious to the real world that surrounds him. At such a young age though, were any of us aware of the Earth's valid ways? Is anyone aware now? "I thought you two loved each other"

"We do, Laddie" it's only now that I've been kidnapped against my own will, that I apprehend that Dwayne will never come first in my heart – Michael's first. He always was between the two of them. "Laddie, listen to me. After I'm gone, you and Star are gonna be so happy. When you walk into that house, Star is gonna be the happiest woman alive. You're gonna go down to the beach with her every day and eat as many ice-creams as possible"

"Vanilla-Thrilla's?" Laddie's spacious eyes beam in delight at the very thought of feasting on his favourite delicacy.

"Thousands of them! In fact, millions!" Laddie claps his hands in enthusiasm, jumping slightly. "Then you're gonna go to school, you'll make lots of friends, and you're gonna get good grades. You'll have slumber parties every weekend with all the Vanilla-Thrilla's you want. But Laddie, your gonna be someone. You're gonna be whatever you wanna be, and you are gonna have a great life. Life is bright for you, Laddie. It's time you had the chance to live it"

Laddie's once thrilled face transforms into a calmer expression consumed with low spirits.

"Am I gonna see you again, Sierra?" he asks with hope etching his words.

To my cheerlessness, Laddie will never lay eyes upon me again. My mind is repeatedly commanding me to knock on that door and explain everything to my family and friends about what I'm about to become and why I'm making such a sacrifice. My heart doesn't want to inform them any details whatsoever in the fear that Laddie shall be hurt by my enemies. Laddie can't be scarred again, I don't know what I'd do if Laddie was physically or mentally injured on my account. I just pin a devilish smirk to my lips and tap the side of my nose to suggest it's a secret.

"It's a surprise!" I whisper with Laddie's response being his arms wrapping around the back of my neck and holding me tightly to him. I hug him back with all the love I have in my demolished heart. This will be the final time Laddie and I can do this, this one moment is the final time for everything. A tear that I was striving to keep from escaping slides down my cheek. "Come on, baby boy. We better get you back home" Laddie wistfully nods in agreement. I brush Laddie's forehead with a kiss; that one last touch of affection has terminated anything we once had. It can't be revived now, for everyone who I love's sakes.

"Goodbye, Sierra. I love you" I bite my bottom lip, those tempting tears are threatening to free themselves. I have to be strong, for Laddie.

"I love you too, baby boy. Now, go on. You're gonna miss dinner, and its pizza night! Your favourite!" Laddie peers behind his shoulder, looking at the elderly house for a moment before revolving his head back to face me.

"I don't wanna go alone... can you come with me?" I flick my head back to see David and Dwayne still in the middle of the road on their trusty motorbikes. David makes a gesture that times ticking away with great speed by tapping his invisible watch lightly.

"I'll watch you go" Laddie grins and begins to saunter over to the house "But, Laddie!" Laddie halts and turns around. "Don't tell anyone that I took you here, please"

Laddie nods and starts his journey to freedom again. Nobody can know I'm still residing in Santa Carla; David made that order clear during our verbal battle at the cave. As much as it pains me, it's better my family and friends don't have that brutal honesty stuck in their knowledge. My guess is that Michael knows exactly what's happened to me after I revealed to him about Dwayne's oppressing state.

Laddie waves farewell to me before finally knocking at the door. That knock signifies a fresh beginning for him without any dramas or hassles to have burdened on his shoulders. I wave back to him; this truly is our last goodbyes. The door creaks open with a gasp following and a crash of knees landing on the floor.

"Laddie! Oh my God, baby boy!" it's Star. Finally she can be at some sort of peace with having her little boy back. I would've said 'our little boy', however Laddie can't be a part of me now, he can't ever be for the rest of time. "Michael! Laddie's back!" I see Michael rush out of the door, bundling Laddie in his arms. At least Laddie has two good influences around him still, I know Michael will shepherd Laddie with his life and nurture him like his own, just like I did. "Oh, Laddie! Come on, baby boy. Let's get you inside, you must be freezing!"

The door slams shut, immediately I dash over to the two villains who have made my recent life a prison and climb onto Dwayne's motorbike.

"I can do it myself" I grumble as Dwayne attempts to aid me onto the bike that will soon guide me to my predetermined course in life as an immortal monster. David chuckles sinisterly at me before firing up the engine. It's time for another moment in my life to occur – it's time for me to surrender my life.

* * *

My heart that is soon going to cease to exist is pulsating in my ears, arresting any other sounds from entering or exiting. I can't even hear myself breathe. I can't think, I can't feel, it's like I'm deceased already. I feel numb, there are no emotions, just stupefaction to the fact I'm undergoing this.

"It's time to join us, Sierra" David announces befittingly, seizing the wine bottle sheathed in jewels and thrusting it into my hands. "This was always gonna be your fate, Sierra"

I stare at the bottle filled with the blood that runs through David's veins. I'm frightened to the bone, what if this is a trick? What if they harmed Laddie after that drop of blood accesses me?

"You remember your part of the deal? Right, David?" I need to be assured; Laddie must not be wounded in any shape or form.

"The kid, Star or your little boyfriend ain't important to us. The question is though, Sierra – do you remember your part?" When it comes to Laddie being protected, my brain or heart won't allow me to consign the promise to oblivion. "Drink it, Sierra"

I bring the bottle to my lips, slipping my eyes to a close. Images from my past circuit through my mind.

_"Don't fall asleep with excitement there" that husky voice intrigued me instantly. I rotated around to view the enticing man in the half-moon sunglasses with his muscles gleaming through tight clothing. I knew from then he would be special to me. _

Another flash, another memory.

_I was a little girl with my rich brown locks tied into bunches, crimson ribbons encircled them. I was wearing a red and white polka dot printed dress with a sailor collar to match. Jimmy with his blonde hair in a basin cut was playing joyously with me in the sandpit, constructing sandcastles and catapulting sand at each other as if the grains were snowballs. The sun was gleaming in the cerulean sky, it was a perfect summers day. _

_"Can I play with you?" a girl's gentle voice asked politely, I peered up to see another little girl with faultless brown eyes and corkscrew curly hair standing in front of us. _

_"Yeah! We're building a magic land that fairies can live in!" the girl slumped down onto her knees with a sphere of sand dust skyrocketing into the atmosphere and thanked us. "I'm Sierra and this is Jimmy" _

_"My real name is James, but everyone calls me Jimmy" Jimmy mumbled through handfuls of crunching sand. _

_"Eww!" the angelic girl and I chorused, giggling with each other. _

_"Do you always eat sand?" she questioned, Jimmy nodded in satisfaction, relishing the taste of brittle sand. _

_"It's tasty, just like me" he replied coolly, the girl and I just tittered at his stupidity. _

_"I'm Star" I thought her name was ridiculous if not a little glamorous. From that day on, the three of us were inseparable; I believed that nothing could destroy our friendship. Little did I know that I was wrong. _

The tilt the bottle to an angle that will consent the blood to rob me of my life. The time has almost come to its destination.

_We had been walking for miles on end and those miles seemed to be extending. I didn't care. I was young, innocent and free to do what I pleased with my younger brothers. I was eight years old and exploring the world surrounding me. With bright patterned buckets filled to the brim with navy blue berries combined with toothsome strawberries, we skipped merrily through the fields together. Nothing could change that day, we were blissful. _

_"Sierra, you can have half of my berries!" Edgar muttered whilst stuffing many blueberries into his grubby mouth. "Because..." he chomped the items in his mouth before swallowing and licking his lips "Because! You are the bestest sister in the world!" Alan cheered in agreement, making me the happiest child on earth. _

The metallic blood inserts my mouth, crawling down my throat and into the pit of my stomach. I am not going to be human for much longer, the nightmare I had shed many tears over and shivered in fear from is now coming true.

_She placed the mirror in front of me, my reflection depicting an entrancing actress or model whose appearance is perfection in physical form. She had painted my lips in a cherry red and my sun kissed face was decorated with divine cosmetics from the cheapest store in Santa Carla. It was a miracle how they made me beautiful for once in my life. _

_"Ta da! Damn, Sierra. You don't look like a twelve year old anymore!" I was too busy marvelling my astounding twin that only existed in a mirror to answer her. "Yo, Sierra!" I couldn't stop beaming at the mirror; she had created a beauty, a true piece of art "Sierra?" _

"Sierra" my eyes widen in disbelief, my grip on the bottle exceedingly loosens, causing it to propel to the ground and fracture into a million dark amber pieces, the deafening crash echoes throughout the cave. That voice that has been absent for so long has rebounded back into my life. The woman from my dreams, its her.

It's Delilah.

* * *

**Sorry the update took so long guys, but hey! It's just in time for Christmas! Thank you for reading and reviewing, and I hope you all have a great Christmas and a happy new year! **


	19. Rest In Peace, Sierra Frog

She is too late to save me as the necrotic blood has already crept down into the pits of my stomach and is now surging throughout my blue veins. My heart that is now only beating for my human side is leaping over imperceptible hurdles, representing the anticipation of the reunion between two sisters and the dread of one of the sisters' unknown state. Is Delilah human? Or has David filched her life as well? All I can do is gaze down at the jagged dark amber fragments of glass floating in a pool of maroon blood as I can't remove my sights onto the girl who I once called sister.

"Sierra, its ok" Dwayne informs me in a serene tone, how can I trust his word after everything he has done to me?

The atmosphere consumed with silence returns. After these three enduring years, I'm terrified to face the truth of what Delilah has shifted into. She can't be human; if pure luck is on my side she could be a half-vampire like myself. David wouldn't have granted her mortality to be extended for three years though, as much as I don't want my mind to agree with it, she is a full vampire. I haven't laid my eyes on Delilah since I was fourteen years old, but I know without even having to capture a glimpse of her that my older sister has been melded from an innocent human into a full vampire.

"You're gonna have to face the truth one day, Sierra" David declares my worst fear to me, she truly is a vampire now.

David strolls over and makes himself incredibly proximate with my face; his leather gloved hand grazes across my moist cheek where tears glissade down from my crystal watery eyes before tilting it with brunt to look up at him.

"You've been craving to see your sister for years. Three long years you've wanted the truth, Sierra. You have the truth now." David leans down, his lips not even inches away from mine and his eyes stare directly into my eyes with temptation that makes me yearn for the appearance of my sister in her human form. "Look at her, Sierra" he then growls, his grasp around me compressing to prove his commands must be obeyed. I rip my eyes free from his trance as I gradually revolve around.

She is a stranger to me; I don't know who Delilah Frog is anymore. The woman who is now alien to my sights stands there in front of me by the toothed entrance, the moonlight trickling in acting as a glorious spotlight. The only thing I can perceive from the prior Delilah Frog is her eyes with the colour of warm chestnut glowing from them.

However they have been altered as well as they are smeared with smoky eyeliner and eyeshadow. Her once golden blonde locks that cascaded past her ribs have fully stained black and are now styled into a bird's nest constructed by back-combing and masses of hairspray that finishes midway of her neck. A jet black fishnet vest swamps on her with a black lace bandeau underneath, she also attires a knee length white lace crinoline and shredded black stockings. She accessorizes an infinite number of necklaces, including a zip leather choker, fingerless leather gloves beautified with blunt metal studs and the homage to David hanging from one ear.

Her figure has altered from something glistening with health into a painfully thin stick where her bony shoulders stick out and her head appears to be having a struggle for support from her gaunt body. The only things that seem to be flourishing are manufactured by rosy blusher and lipstick. What have they done to the Delilah I remember? Where is she? This isn't the big sister I have idolized for so many years, she is nothing but a ghost from the past resembling her.

"You've changed, little sis" Delilah giggles with a beaming smile spreading on her pouty lips. Her smile disintegrates when she notices a tear slip out of my eye. "Don't be scared of me, Sierra"

A pair of wintry hands slither along my trim waist where the only thing partially shielding me from the frigid conditions is my cropped black sweater vest that is beginning to smell of the musty ancient hotel since I have been wearing it for three days. Three days since I was kidnapped and there has been no sign of rescue. Nobody can extradite me of this curse now. I don't even know what they would have to do to set me free. Before it was easier – kill the Head Vampire. Mr Emerson killed Max last time, but who is the Head Vampire this time? Is it David or Dwayne? Or could it even be Delilah? If I wish to be human again, I will have to murder everyone in this room.

Locks of dark chocolate hair drape over my shoulder and a hibernal breath deserts Dwaynes' mouth to crawl up my neck.

"Sierra, go to her" Dwayne whispers, I need to get out of his clutches. I can't bear him touching me like that.

My heart belongs to Michael, I just won't have another chance to show to him it it does. I still can't believe the way I acted towards him; he had been nothing but generous to me and I demolished our love. Firstly, I deceived him with lies originating from my guilt, second came the battles between us with intervals of clemency where we adored each other as if nothing had ever occurred and finally, I revealed everything which blighted our relationship permanently.

Without even glancing at my two traitors, I dart over to Delilah only to be acquainted with her soothing arms wrapping around me for the first time for what seems like an endless time.

"Hey, little sis. Long time no see" Delilah chuckles before angling me so my tear infested eyes look up at her. "Wanna go get some new threads? David bought you some before you came" I require an answer from her to a question I hope provides me faith before we depart anywhere together.

"You're a full vampire, aren't you?" a villainous smirk heightens on her lips, verifying the horrifyingly accurate reality.

"Nothing to be freaked out of, little sis. Now, come on. Let's get you outta those clothes and into something a little more..." Delilah scrutinizes my outfit with a concealed nauseous look emerging on her features, fabricating a smile on her lips. "... a little more awesome"

I nod to give my consent. As much as I can dream and hunger for liberty, I have to suffer with the daunting absolute that I'm Davids' now. I'm not ever going to be anyone else's property again. David is my master, and will be until the end of the Earth.

* * *

I gawk at my opaque reflection in the fractured mirror; Delilah has revolutionized me from a pretty senior with the average fashion to a bewitching woman who masquerades her darkest secrets. My ultra dark brown voluminous hair now rests just above my ribcage instead of descending down to my hips. My lips have been tinted in the colour of deep rose red with a glazed finish and my face has been lightly coated in a foundation that blends in with my sun-kissed skin.

The floral printed stirrup pants and other components to my past self have been cast aside, being repossessed by a black cape cloaking over the right side of my slim hourglass figure that attires a navy blue lace dress with a boned off the shoulder neckline and the sleeves finishing at my elbows. Delilah placed white lace fingerless gloves on my hands to complete my reborn image along with many bracelets and pearl beads drooping around my neck, gleaming all by themselves without any source of light.

I blink a few times in one split second as specks of dust fall into my eyes, my lengthy mascara-plastered eyelashes surrounded by a warm smoky hue on the eyelid as well as a sleek line of eyeliner, lower themselves as I do so.

"Now you look like a beauty queen! A sexy one at that!" Delilah exclaims, planting a kiss on my cheek. "All we gotta do now is get you a perm and my work is complete!" the palm of her leather covered hand cups my jaw before sketching an invisible trail up to my earlobe where the silver chandelier earring that exhibits whom I am enslaved to dangles. "You're one of us now, little sis"

"I've already had a perm, you know?" I yawn, masking away my mouth. I'm not keen to discuss what I'm reluctantly transforming into. I shan't protest about my redesigned being though; if modifying into a vampire is what I have to do to ward off the two sinful deceivers from damaging Laddie, then I will do it. I would brave anything for Laddie and his sanctuary.

"You looked hot with it as well, Sierra" I gasp, shutting my mouth almost instantly with my hand and immediately snap around in the direction of the smoky voice that spoke so abruptly. I should have expected the voice to be David's who leans in the rock archway to the sleeping chamber with a smirk escalating on his mouth. "Not like you're not hot now. Boy, Dwayne's in for one hell of a treat tonight"

I disapprovingly glare at him before rotating my head to view a giggling Delilah. She has changed drastically, and not for the better. This isn't the Delilah I admired; the Delilah I loved is my sister, not the Delilah towering over me. Just when I thought David hadn't pillaged me of everything, I had to discover that he has. David has won. After the process of thieving me of everyone I love, he finally succeeded in what he was after all along – me.

"Delilah's right, Sierra. You are one of us, you have my blood running in your veins" David advances over to me and bends over so his face is encroaching my energy; my made-up eyes are glued on Delilah who just overlooks the situation. "Get out, Delilah"

Delilah promptly scampers out of the leaking room, to where she is escaping to now I don't know. With Delilah, I fear I will never predict her location after the stunt she initiated years ago. I squirm slightly in my position, my fists clamping down as David brushes his glacial lips across my cheek. Why is he still taunting me with his petty mind games?

"You are mine now, Sierra. I told you I would win the next time, I was right. Wasn't I, Sierra?" he sneers in my pierced ear. I can't control myself enough as I quiver in fright. Why is David doing this to me? I can't believe that I used to be so close to David he was like my brother once upon a time, when now he is only my enemy. The only thing I can do is nod, after all he's correct.

After I had been resuscitated by Marko and Paul, David promised me that he would triumph. No doubt now he is hungering to receive vengeance for his brother's deaths. If only he had the knowledge that Marko and Paul are blissful to be unchained from his curse.

"I swear to God, if you hurt Laddie or Star or my brothers, I will kill you" David's reaction to my expression of gallantry is menacing chuckles.

"You said nothing about Michael, Sierra. Isn't he important to you anymore?" he inquires in a dark tone that shows commitment to his word for collecting his repayment.

"Stay away from Michael, or I swear – "

"Ah, so he is important!" David interrupts sarcastically, what is he attempting to accomplish from all of this? "You've forgiven him so soon after you decided to end it with him. Your little friend, Pepsi did a good job. Perfect timing too. Doesn't it seem too perfect to you, Sierra?"

Sudden realisation pours over my mind; it wasn't Pepsi or Michael who was to blame that night. It was yet another ambush created in order to drive me and Michael apart. It worked, I plunged myself into the trap which caused my relationship with Michael to collapse.

"So your ex-boyfriend is innocent and your sister is immortal, yet you stay miserable. Only months ago, Sierra, you wanted freedom to be with us. I'm giving you that freedom, consider it as a gift. I've been too kind to you, Sierra" He has been far from kind, there is no warmth in his heart for others. "I gave you the choice of Laddie's life or your life, Michael's life or your life, your brothers' lives or your life, and you've always chosen yourself. There's a price to pay for being too nice, Sierra – and you're paying it"

David outstretches his arm as a gesture for me to entwine my fingers with his. I stare at his offering for a few seconds, I can't accept it. I just can't, everything I am is commanding me not to but the blood coursing through my veins is also condemning me to follow through with this remorseless order. I begin to walk away from David, finally I can be rid of his savage presence.

David grabs hold of me, pinning me mercilessly to the wall! I let out a shriek as my eyes widen in shock and my mind starts to feel faint from the alarming stupefaction.

"Let go!" I cry so everyone can hear my plea for help.

It's only now my brain registers that no one is going to act upon my petitions for aid, they are all imprisoned to this curse of serving David. Even my own sister is captured in this torment of immortality. Also, though Dwayne may confess that he loves me, he won't ever allow me to be disburdened of what I am.

"Shut up, Sierra" David growls, his features morphing into ones of a hideous vampire. "You will learn to obey me. Michael isn't going to save you this time, Sierra. If he loved you so much then he would be here to save you, but he isn't as you can see. Neither do your family; your dad is still that uncaring asshole he's been all your life and your mom is so high that she doesn't even know your missing. Like they did with Delilah, they don't give a shit if you're gone. All your dad cares about is the boys, not you and Delilah. He's never cared. I'm the one who's saved you this time, Sierra. So if I were you, I'd stop being an ungrateful little brat and appreciate what I've done for you. Do you understand me?"

I continue to fidget, not daring to face his loathsome existence. I can't fall for any of his abominable lies, my father does care about me and so do my brothers. What if David is right though? What if my father flickered that adoring father portrayal on like a lightbulb before switching it off just as quickly? Did he mean anything during that one speech that exhibted his fatherly love for me? No, he couldn't have been untruthful. As for Michael, he said so himself that he loved me. He repelled againest my heartbreaking words until he couldn't be strong any longer and saw that I couldn't be with him for his own good.

"Do you understand me?" he repeats more viciously, his grip on me tightening so much that his triangular knifelike nails impale my flesh, inducing trails of saturated crimson blood to avalanche down my arm. I gasp from the dull throbbing pain exacerbating as his impoverish nails sink in further.

"I understand you!" I yelp, instantly after I say that David's vampire state calms itself back into a human composition and he releases me. I clutch my wounded arm as David stares fervently at the blood dripping over my fingers.

"Good girl" David licks his fingers where blood stains seduce him. "Now, be a darling and do as you're told. Take my hand" without delay, I do as he directs and lace my fingers with his. Without another word exchanged between the two of us, David guides me to the others after I have bandaged my seeping injury with the denim acid-washed rag that once was used as an accessory. All it is now is a reminder of what I am adapting into and what my precedent self was like.

* * *

In the hotel lobby, Dwayne sits on the torn couch with his legs sprawled on the seats in a comfortable position whereas Delilah hovers around the archway, waiting for my return.

"May I present to you all, the new Sierra Frog!" Delilah cheers, hauling me to her side and thrusting her fist up in the air several times.

David claps boisterously whilst honouring me with whoops. Dwayne gazes at me in astonishment, obviously spellbound by my transformation before leaping up from his throne and sauntering over to me. He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear, his eyes interlocked with mine.

"You look beautiful, Sierra" Dwayne compliments me gingerly; I have to slant my head to the side as Dwayne begins to lean into my frame, his lips yearning to touch mine. I catch David's eye, it demands me to surrender to Dwayne's wishes.

In fright of David's vows that are disguised as cautions, I twist my head around where Dwayne tilts my chin and places a permissive kiss on my rouged lips. My eyes remain open, and I try at my best efforts to muse about how it's Michael kissing me right now. That won't ever happen again though; David will go beyond his capabilities to avoid me having contact Michael and the others. I can't visualize Michael's face as the sincere truth overwhelms me. I'm David's property, and when one is David's property – they are nobody else's'.

"Come on, Sierra. I wanna take you somewhere" Delilah inteferes the unsatisfactory kiss between Dwayne and I as I rapidly snap my head around to face her. "Come on, let's go!" she then goads in a whining tone, tugging at my woollen cape like an infant attempting to get attention. David flings something to me that crashes by my feet. I decrease my view to the ground below me to see a pair of black suede high heels with curvy straps around the foot and a golden buckle at the side. I put them on, making myself three inches taller.

"Have fun, girls. Sierra!" David calls, once again beckoning me "Go catch yourself some guys. You never know, one of them could be your first" I'm guessing that David was insinuating my first kill. For as long as humanly possible, I am going to avert my first kill until the craving invades me completely and I can no longer withhold myself from the scent of human blood.

"The way she's looking, Sierra'll be getting the eye no problem tonight!" Delilah giggles, I raise a groomed eyebrow at her, she disregards it by cackling with David. Dwayne just puffs on the cigarette situated between his thumb and forefinger. "Come on, little sis. Let's get outta here!"

* * *

We access the kingdom of liberty, the sparkling dingy curtain roaming over us and the sphere of white glinting in the sky where it hangs for a period of time. The icy breeze encircles around me as if it's attracted to the heat of my body and wishes to conquer the warmth inside of me. Delilah climbs onto one of the inky motorbikes whose title of one of the fastest motorbikes hasn't been defeated for years.

"Climb on board, little sis!" I do as she says and mount onto the seat, wrapping my arms around her scrawny waist.

"Where're we going?" I ask, Delilah peers around her shoulder to reply, tapping the side of her nose as I did with Laddie to veil away secrets from him.

"Anywhere! See where this old thing takes us! Ok, I'll be a nice person: where'd you wanna go?" The reply I desperately want to say will get me into deeper trouble as I can imagine Delilah informing David of every single word I utter.

"How about the beach?" I suggest, hopefully she will agree as the beach holds memories that will soon cause a smile to surface my mouth.

"I could dig the beach right now. Hey, we could get your hair fixed while we're out! David wants you looking extra hot!"

It seems this whole scenario revolves around David. What he aspires, it is brought to him without questioning. The engines guns furiously like a lion roaring in pride, telling me it's time Delilah and I travel into the nights mysteries.

The wind sweeps through my newly cut hair, yet I don't feel the exhilaration I once had. I don't think I'll ever feel that gush of stimulation ever again. I know the truth now, and it is far beyond my darkest nightmares.

* * *

**There you go guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for the reviews, favouriting, followings and reviews! **

**Just in time for the New Year! Speaking of the New Year, I hope 2013 will be the one of the greatest years for all of you and brings you happiness, you all deserve it! :)**

**Wow, so this is most likely my last update of 2012. Within this year, I've accomplished so much, including writing stories and completing my first ever story. You guys have brought me happiness and confidence. So thank you so much for that! You've made me a pretty happy and confident bunny ;D **

**Well, like I said before - hope you enjoy reading and have a great New Year! :D **


	20. You're The Voice

I feel as if I have returned to my former Nighttime Sierra status, Delilah has reconstructed everything about me at Davids' command. The texture of my hair has altered dramatically from a naturally straight hairstyle to a bush of ringlets that chute down to my ribcage, creating me into who I despise. I don't desire to be this person David is mutating me into, but I have no free will this time. I never did. Delilah was accurate about spellbinding men though, and the compulsion to drown my newborn fangs into their necks is extremely vigorous. I'm restricting myself from seducing them for blood with every humane trace left inside of me. The strength required to do this is high, I'm being seeped of all my energy by just avoiding the potent smell.

The waves from the sovereign blue sea pulverize the already saturated grains of beige sand on the shore, and thunderclap together in their homeland like cymbals playing in an orchestra. My leather varnished feet rupture the pastoral sheet of golden sand with each footstep I take. I wonder if David is patrolling around the perimeter of the beach to ensure I don't flee from him. I can't believe I have become so insecure of my refuge during this past week all because of the phobia of David reappearing lingered within me. Then again, did it ever abandon me? When the battle ceased a month ago, I never thought it was the beginning of something even more destructive. Though David outlasted the battle, I was too appreciative of everyone else's survival to give it a single thought. The realisation of truth was buried deep inside of me, it just never seemed to emerge.

A delicate wind which is uncommon in this month wreathes around the whole of Santa Carla, especially the beach where the wind is magnetized. I find it quite soothing, like the wind is cleansing me of everything that is vexing me. Reminiscing over the memories of Michael and I here on this beach brings a smile on my painted lips since I know that once I was human and I can keep my human side intact. I must confront my vampire side and block its transgression. Until my limits erupt and I have to feed in order to survive, I will shun any person who attempts to make contact with me.

Delilah, who is fiddling with my newly spiralled hair, diverts my attention from the daydreaming world.

"I knew the perm would suit you, it did last time" Delilah mumbles whilst munching on a double cheeseburger.

It perplexes me how Delilah is devouring on so many fattening delicacies but remains appearing like she is in great need of salvation. After Delilah had sculptured my hair, we visited a fast food cafe where Delilah gorged down two Sloppy Joes and a peanut butter bar in the 60's inspired booth.

"Do I have anything round my mouth?" she then asks me, her index finger circling her mouth in a gesture.

"A little of that peanut butter bar but that's about it, maybe some cheeseburger as well" I inform her, wiping away the food stains from her mouth. Delilah rolls her glowing chestnut eyes and places her hands on her skeletal hips.

"Shit, Sierra, you could've told me!" Delilah snaps in annoyance, acting as if I'm to blame for this childish situation. "Jesus Christ, I've been looking like an idiot for hell knows how long..." she soon trails on about how her appearance is the equivalent to a clown and how I should be obliged to tell her if she has food over her mouth.

Another thing of Delilah that has gravely recreated itself is her attitude; she has always been a melodramatic diva but it seems to have increased over the years we have been separated. David has truly doctored her into a person who contrasts from her previous self. She isn't my sister anymore, she's just someone who claims to be. I can't feel the same pleasant feelings I felt before when I look into her eyes, and I don't feel like I'm guarded like I did before she was snatched.

Was Delilah even kidnapped from me or did she abandon my family on her own free will? She was constantly expressing how she destested my mom and dad, so it begins to make me muse over whether Delilah was intentionally escaping from us. Delilah finishes her rant and pastes an exaggerated smile on her lips.

"Anyway, I thought you wanted to go to the beach?" she questions with a grudging tone in her voice that suggests she is regretting allowing me to make the decision of where we go.

"We don't have to if _you _don't want to!" I retort, imitating her sarcastic smile whilst she scowls at me with displeasure.

"Ooh, you're feeling feisty tonight! Aren't you, Sierra?" Though it may not have been calculated, Delilah mimicked the man who brought me to this unnatural state of life – David. With Delilah's attitude adjustment and all the components that arrive with it, I can't help myself but to think if I'm going to be an exact clone of her when I fully change. I can't deny that the undesired event won't take place soon, I'm not going to be able to distract myself from feeding for an eternity. I will have to step into that immortal world sooner or later.

"Whatever. Where the hell else could we go anyway?" I highly doubt Michael and everyone else will be hunting for me on the beach. Though I love the serenity of the waves colliding together, they will most likely be at the Boardwalk searching for me since that's the place closest to David's amusement.

I don't want Michael, Star and my family seeing me like this anyway, I want them to have the memories of how I looked before I disappeared. It feels so outlandish thinking that I'm just another black and white face on the graffiti walls of Santa Carla that broadcasts I'm one of the many people to have vanished into thin air, never to return back to civilisation. Unlike those other innocent people, I'm still alive and roaming on this earth.

Why did David aspire so badly to make me one of his followers? Why am I breathing now whilst all of his other victims have been slaughtered? It doesn't make sense to me at all why I'm still here. Like David sneered, I should be grateful. But how can I be grateful when all I'm seeing is the ones I love suffering from his intimidation? I'll never know why I was the 'lucky' one, and in all honesty I don't want to discover the reason why either for it may not be a pleasing answer.

"This is Santa Carla for God's sakes! There's plenty of stuff to do!" Delilah exclaims, twirling around to promote the many attractions Santa Carla has to present.

"I'm trying to avoid certain people though, Delilah" I sigh in vexation, Delilah really doesn't comprehend other people's views or beliefs, then again I suppose that's been the case since she transformed into a vampire. I can't have Michael being acquainted with the redesigned Sierra Frog, I want the former Sierra Frog to be summoned in his mind.

"And by certain people you mean Michael? So a certain person would be the right thing to say, wouldn't it be, Sierra?" How does Delilah even know about Michael? I have been cautious not to mention Michael to her under any condition. "Dwayne told me, and David said something about him" she educates me as if she translated my thoughts. I just gawk at her, not believing she has knowledge of Michael.

We soon halt our footsteps when we come to our destination at a palm tree that drapes over the cosy spot near the glistening sea that reflects the opalescent moon dangling, where Delilah and I soon situate ourselves. Above the silent noise of my thoughts and irritating sound of Delilah chewing on the last remainders of her greasy snack, I can hear the alleviating waves of the ocean crashing together. I could fall into a abyssal slumber because I'm so weakened of energy. These past few days have been like an incessant timeline of regret and despair for everyone, not just myself.

"Did you love him?" Delilah inquires, motioning nearer to me as if it's an efficient technique for interrogation, with her facial features appearing like they know my confession already.

"Yeah, I did" I mustn't remark how I still have those indestructible emotions for Michael since I'm not fully confident that Delilah is a trustworthy person yet. For all I know, my own sister could be feeding back every word I utter to David and Dwayne.

"Did you two lovebirds do the deed?" I stay silent and keep my eyes chained on the beige sand below me. What has intrigued her so much about the moments in my life that she's been absent for? "I take your silence as a yes!" she then giggles like a child that hasn't matured to their full extent. Suddenly, her adolescent tittering stops and a void of speechlessness hushes the both of us. Delilah outstretches her arm to gingerly angle my head so I'm facing her. "You've grown up, little sis"

"I had to, didn't I?" if I hadn't had cultivated myself with the responsibilities of a mother when Delilah dispersed three years ago, then I wouldn't even like to brainstorm where Edgar and Alan would be. Delilah was always the mother figure in our family, when she deserted us someone had to consume that hollow role. I knew that person had to be me.

It's now I decide I have inquests of my own that need to be heard. Delilah has interrogated me on what I've been doing for three years – now it's my turn.

"When'd the initiation end for you then?" I have to know when Delilah transformed into a creature of the night; it will provide me with information about when I might be turned.

"Last month" she replies, flicking my countless ringlets. My heart instantly jolts without a delay. Why wasn't she turned sooner? Did David have plans for her as well? "David didn't want me changing until he said something happened. I guess he wanted me to be with you, he's a sweetie like that!" I wouldn't exactly title David as a 'sweetie'. To me he's more like venomous snake whose only way of receiving pleasure is by suppressing others lives into becoming a misery.

I just can't fathom on why David would prolong the interval of Delilah drinking his blood to the actual event of her shifting into a monster. Why would he wait that long? Then again, I could question on why he took a lengthy amount of time in delivering me into their gang.

"Last month?" I repeat, my voice reflecting my bewilderment. Delilah exhales in aggravation and rolls her eyes at me.

"Yes, Sierra! Last month!" Delilah states, though she may have to echo what she has declared already, the concept of this fact refuses to burrow itself into the depths of my brain. "Anyway," she begins in a more bland tone of voice "could you do me a favour? Go in the store at the Boardwalk and get me some candy bars. Preferably those little fruity chocolate things. If they don't have that then get me some gum – root beer flavour" she brazenly demands, passing me green notes of money and a cigarette.

I raise my groomed eyebrow at her, not perceiving the cigarettes' recommendation.

"And what do you want me to do with this?" I ask with another rolling of those chestnut eyes being Delilah's answer.

"I want you to stick it up your ass" she maliciously jests with nothing but sarcasm etching her words. "What the hell are you gonna do with it? You smoke it! You're one of us now, you gotta look cool and mean" I wouldn't define smoking a cigarette as cool, however I'm not in the right position at this precise moment in time to defy her commands. "Here"

Delilah stuffs the cigarette in my mouth and releases a flame of ignited orange gas to roast the end of the unappetizing nicotine stick where its fumes begin to revolt my tastebuds. The cheap taste of tar prowls around my mouth, causing me to splutter choking hacks.

"Shit! It's disgusting!" I cough a little, taking another drag to familiar myself with its nauseating taste. "Aren't you gonna give me some sunglasses? I'm sure David wouldn't want me to run into someone that recognizes me" I uncurl my fingers to hold out my hand in order to inherit the sunglasses resting on Delilah's nest of hair. I don't even desire to envision the calamity that will befall if I happen to run into the others who by now must have noted my sudden vanishing from society. All she does is stare at my palm in disbelief, rejecting my appeal for the veiling of my identity.

"Like me, Sierra, David doesn't give a shit. Now, go. I'm getting hungry" she hauls me in for an embrace, kissing my forehead that's smeared in foundation. "See you later! Be quick" after she has adjured me for a final time, she liberates me to flee. She knows I can't escape without being hunted down again.

I revolve around, my voluminous spirals whipping the air as I do so, and commence my independent journey to the Boardwalk. Nothing can tame my stress and concern that sprints throughout my body. The palms of my hands that are masked with rough white lace feel as if they are glazed with sweat and I'm uncertain if it's the rash arctic temperature in the wind or the tension climaxing that's generating my bones to shudder. What if somebody recollects my appearance? What if that somebody is Michael? Or Star? Jimmy, River and Jude are bound to be hovering around the Boardwalk; I just hope that they're governed to the stage tonight. At all costs, I must steer clear of anyone who is a threat in recognizing me. Though some of those people consist of my friends and family, they mustn't view what I am now.

I exhale a cloud of silver whilst barging the door to open, only to be welcomed back by the chiming music of the carousel mingling with a song blaring from the music hall. A remedy of comfort composes my existing panic as the song belongs to Jimmy's band, at least I won't have to torment myself over them seeing me if they're occupied on the stage. It's burdensome to think that this hangout was once something that characterized my optimism, when now all it symbolizes is what my precedent self was like.

At last, I arrive to my aim where I will secure what is mandatory and depart immediately after paying. The store is absorbed by trashy magazines and sugary processed treats with a popular song at a placid volume playing in the background.

Sudden extreme terror strikes my heart as at the desk reading a book, is Mrs Emerson – Lucy. Thankfully, she is too immersed in the what must be fascinating book to realize that I'm tearing the pricetag off a pair of pitch black circular sunglasses. I place the sunglasses that are rather similar to my own, on the bridge of my nose to shield my identity from Lucy; I just pray she won't see past the disguise. I grab a few packets of gum, two of them being rootbeer seasoned and the other minty fresh before I seize a few bars of that preferred candy for Delilah.

What confounds me is that Delilah came in here earlier on, and she must have noticed Lucy was serving at the desk. Firstly, she didn't seem to take the fact I may be acknowledged into her personal interest. Now, this has happened. My instinct is screaming at me that something abnormal is occurring. What am I to about it if there is though? I'm bottomless in the hierarchy system at the moment, how can I possibly make a change?

I stroll over to the dust-infected desk where I attempt in simmering my anxiety down. Lucy greets me with a sincere teeth-flashing smile; she always has been so courteous to others. Her smile fades into becoming something of distress, my heart races at the speed of light. Does Lucy know who I am? Is this what Delilah was hoping to achieve?

"Are you ok, sweetie? You look nervous?" my heart soothes itself rapidly. I shake my head, though it may seem impolite, I can't speak without the dread of Lucy analysing my voice. "Ok, well is this all you're buying?" I nod again and inhale another intake of nicotine. I despise the very taste of it, but I feel as if I'm confined to Delilah's dictation over me.

My sight lands on a sheet of haggard paper with a bedraggled image of a beaming teenage girl. My eyes widen in stupefaction as I grasp that the jubilant girl on the advertisement is me. The photo is a recent one; I remember Michael captured the fateful photograph when we were visiting Jimmy and the other guys backstage one night. I am wearing my previous attire of a black jumpsuit with Michael's leather jacket swamped over me so I could keep myself insulated. The capitals in a jet black bold print read:

**POLICE DEPARTMENT OF SANTA CARLA  
MISSING GIRL  
SIERRA MAY FROG  
MISSING SINCE SEPTEMBER 1ST 1987. LAST SEEN AT 10 P.M AT SANTA CARLA BEACH BOARDWALK.  
DESCRIPTION:  
DATE OF BIRTH: SEPTEMBER 3RD 1969.  
FEMALE, WHITE, 18 YRS.  
HEIGHT: 167CM, WEIGHT: 119 LBS  
WEARING: CROPPED BLACK SWEATERVEST, FLOWER PRINTED STIRRUP PANTS, WHITE 'GRANNY' BOOTS, ACID-WASHED DENIM RAG AROUND HAIR  
DARK BROWN HAIR, BLUE EYES  
PERSONS HAVING ANY INFORMATION ARE REQUESTED TO CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY**

I slightly peel the corner of the fragile poster to view many duplicates that report the exact same pieces of information with the black and white picture to prove Sierra Frog once prevailed. I scan the date of birth fact again, I'm eighteen years old. Throughout all the chaotic affairs that I have been enduring, I failed to commemorate my birthday. It has finally hit me that I'm a missing person, and that my previous life is dying at such a fast pace that I can't even recall facts of it.

"It's such a shame what happened" I gasp and jerk in shock at the deplored voice, almost dropping the significant piece of paper that holds so much urgency. I peer up from the poster to see Lucy neatening the stack of other posters with her face manifesting woefulness. "I know Sierra; she's my oldest sons' girlfriend. Such a lovely girl, always polite and kind. I've never seen my Michael so happy before in his life, she's the first girl he really loved"

By the way Lucy is speaking in present tense, I'm assuming Michael still has these feelings intact. It makes my heart drown when I think of how I have twin feelings.

"How's your son doing now?" I ask in a higher pitch to masquerade even more components of my personality. I'm loathing every second of it. I regard various medicines behind Lucy, catching sight of the bandages. Unfortunately, the bleeding from the premeditated wound David fabricated hasn't intermitted yet as under my black cape that facades most of my right side, is the blood-soaked denim rag acting as a bandage. "Can I have some bandages as well, please?" Lucy spins around and obtains the ivory bandages from the crammed shelf.

"He's heartbroken in all honesty; I'm so worried about him. He's not sleeping properly, not eating enough and every day he's either out looking for Sierra or looking out the window. He bought her a real diamond ring for her birthday yesterday, carries it with him everywhere in case she comes back. This is Santa Carla though, I don't have the heart to tell him the chances of Sierra turning up"

If only Lucy could see beyond the sunglasses, she would know what happened to me just by one glance.

"I feel bad for her family though. Their other daughter, Delilah, went missing three years ago. They don't think Sierra is dead, or Delilah. Some of the people you get in this town though, I'm not sure. Two girls from the same family missing, it's just so tragic. Makes you think about what sick people there are in this world, huh?"

I never would have thought I would miss my family so deeply; some of the things I yearn for right now include a single embrace from my father and for my brothers to insult me in some way. I found myself weeping out of laughter at the thought of Edgar defiling me in a garlic aroma or Alan constantly reminding me how I'm a 'fangbanger'. I miss it; I never thought that in a million years I would miss the offensive terms or my fathers' crude humour. I would do anything to have my old life back. Only a month ago, I pursued to have this life in my clutches. All I want now is to be free of it. The ancient saying is correct – you don't know what you've got until you lose it, and I've lost all of it.

"Sorry about that" Lucy apologizes with honest goodwill, passing the pale blue plastic bag over to me. I feel awful that I have to deceive her, after all she's done for me she doesn't deserve any of my lies. Lucy was like the mother I had been seeking for years beforehand; being deceptive to her is like being deceptive to an endearing mother who does nothing but cherish her children.

"It's fine, I hope you find her" I arch the corners of my scarlet painted mouth into a smile. Lucy examines this smile for a split second whilst I awkwardly search around the store. "See you later, take care" I rotate around, not accepting what I've just had to do. How could I do something like that? What am I becoming? As much as I want to hide who I am from everyone, I can't help but to be ashamed of myself for being dishonest to Lucy. That stare of reluctance exhibited to me that Lucy was questioning whether it was me or not. After all, every time I visited her, the first thing that came naturally to me was to smile.

"You take care too... um, sorry what's your name?" Lucy is beginning to become skeptical on who I am, I can't allow my identity to become known to her. I pretend not to hear her with a few clear tears slipping out of my crystal eyes as the door slams shut, disclosing mine and Lucy's conversation.

I blow more smoke out into the misty atmosphere that surrounds me, somehow I've attached myself to the cigarette hanging out of my mouth because of the main excuse that I'm being padlocked to commands. I remove the sunglasses and catapult them somewhere out of my catastrophic reach, not wishing to use them as a veil any longer.

Finally, I'm pardoned of the harrowing strains of the Boardwalk as I access the contentment that is the portentous streets of Santa Carla. I inhale another intake of the foul cigarette before exhaling again, why am I so enslaved to Delilah's oppressing instructions? I hear a child painfully clearing their lungs of the second hand grey smoke that has obviously smothered him.

"Laddie, go inside to Star. I don't want you getting cold"

I remember when I first beheld Lucy I felt nothing but trepidation. Hearing that one voice that has intense meaning to me causes that apprehension to multiple to infinity.

That voice is the voice I've been thirsting to hear, but now I wish that it never escaped from their lips.

* * *

**Hey guys! Happy New Year :D Hope your years are getting off to a good start! I also hope that you can read, review and enjoy! Thanks for reading :D **


	21. You'll See

Just when I thought this week couldn't have been more disastrous when it comes to acquainting myself with past friends and foes, it's been prophesied that this night is going to be the worst of all the unfortunate days I've experienced so far.

"Can I go play pinball with Edgar, Alan and Sam? I'm getting real good at it! Star told me!" Laddie implores with glee. "Are you gonna look for Sierra some more, Michael?" I'm estimating that Laddie has been granted to amuse himself with the help of a game as he whoops in rapture. I hastily stride around the corner, mentally assuring myself that Michael won't hook those magnificent blue eyes onto me.

"Yeah, if you wanna. Don't worry, Laddie, we'll find Sierra soon. Now, go on, have fun" Michael's voice strikes as being wearied yet his nurturing disposition shines out lustrously.

I glimpse out from underneath my hair, moving the curly obstacle out of my view with my finger, around the corner to see Michael pinning another poster that notifies civilians of my withdrawal from the public eye. I would like nothing more than to enlighten Michael of my welfare, but I can't. Currently, I'm musing over if David would really fret over making my presence evident to Michael. Though the subject of David permitting me to have some form of interaction is debateable, my personal affection for Michael doesn't want him witnessing what I've horrifically evolved into.

I can escape from this, I know I can. But how to do it without Michael hearing me? These high heels can attract the attention of any man, and Michael knows how much I adore high heels. The image of my darling granny boots flashes into my mind as does the description of the posters on the graphitised wall – I was wearing heels on the night of my disappearance. Could Michael be seeking out for that one noise that echoes throughout this town at night? Suddenly, I feel a tepid breathe inhaling and exhaling, and hear the cough of irritation from choking smoke arising from my cigarette. Once again, I move several strands of backcombed ringlets out of the way with my lace masqueraded hands. Michael is incredibly proximate to me, too much for my liking.

"Lost something?" my eyes enlarge in size and fury is darting throughout me. Inside me there is nothing but a seething temper of rage. What is going on? Does Delilah deliberately want my locations to be exposed? The only thing I can see at the moment are illuminations of a roaring fire as my ferocity is encompassing its limits. How dare could Delilah do this? Has David directed her to do this?

"Can you take one of these, it's my –"

"Girlfriend? Yeah, Sierra mentioned you! Hm, I can see why she did a certain something now" Delilah sniggers.

The wrathful storm has elevated onto a diverse level. Who on earth does she think she is? Delilah is meant to be my sister, not my enemy. I can classify Delilah more than my enemy now. The Delilah Frog I once glorified and spent years searching for has been delivered into a hellish oblivion.

"You've seen Sierra? Where is she? Is she ok?" Michael interrogates. I find it a miracle that he still holds me dear to his heart after how I disrespected him like that only days prior to today. Michael was the nearest to heaven I'll ever be in this eternal lifetime, I'll never be able to stop grieving at what I've kissed goodbye.

I hear the sturdy double doors of the Boardwalk opening with high heels clicking on the cemented pavement.

"Michael are you –" there is an unforeseen gasp exiting from Star's mouth, she knows who the forgotten woman is. "Delilah? Oh my God, is it really you?"

"The one the only!" she ceremoniously announces. "Shit, Star, you've grown up a bit since I last saw you!" How can she be so preppy? Delilah isn't naive, there is no mistake that she acknowledges the dilemmas she's concocting.

"Wait. You're Delilah? Sierra's sister?" Michael inquires with concern, relating to Star's bewilderment as my sister whose survival for the past few years was deemed fictitious, is positioned right in front of their astonished eyes.

"I thought I just said that I was, Mikey! Yup, I'm the only Delilah Marelle Frog you'll find in Santa Carla! You guys thought I was dead, now I'm immortal, and I'm just full of surprises today, aren't I?" Delilah chirps with scornfulness biting at Michael and Star.

"Star, get back inside. I want you to tell Mr Frog that Delilah's back" I hear Star agree, I have to interfere. Dad can't know about Delilah and I being far from our human state. If they do then I will have to fear for both of our lives and my families' sanity.

"You stay where you are, Star" I then perceive the sound of Star's shoes deterring, bowing down to Delilah's very words. "I don't think that'll be a good idea, do you, Michael?"

If it's possible, I could go back to alarm David that Delilah's having contact with one of his mortal enemies. If I do though, Michael's life could be in peril once again on my behalf. Not only that, but Delilah's words swarm my mind: _'David doesn't give a shit' _– how could David not give a slight trepidation if I'm with Michael? Again, my instinct is declaring that something treacherously dishonest is lingering among the pack of vampires, and it's my only desire to discover it.

"My father isn't going to learn a single thing about tonight, understand? I know exactly where Sierra is, and she's close, Michael – very close. So close if you try hard enough, you'll be able to breathe the very essence of her. Remember what she smelt like, Michael? That sweet flowery smell of the perfume you bought her? Of course you don't, you probably remember Pepsi's alcohol breath though. God, she did a great job, don't you think, Michael?"

What on earth is Delilah materializing in Michael's brain? She is very much like David, too much to the point where it's frightening me of what my sister has become. Delilah commences in mocking titters that will surely corrupt Michael and Star's minds.

"Shame really, you're not a bad looking guy. Sierra belongs with Dwayne though, Michael. Sierra _went_ to Dwayne, Michael. She ran away from you as soon as he came on the scene. She's no longer in love with you, Michael. She chose Dwayne – not you"

Her cheating slanders have accomplished reaching the borderline of my limits. I'm executing her denigrations, even if it does mean Michael getting a taste of the new Sierra. With the cigarette in between my two fingers, the noise of my high heels luring the attention of a smirking Delilah and the gobsmacked Michael and Star as I stride around the corner, and the courage escalating inside of me to fight back, I make myself apparent for the first time in three days.

"I chose nobody, Delilah. You know what happened. So don't you dare stand there and bullshit to them" I sneer with my voice making a powerful effect and my crystal blue eyes only centralizing on Delilah with the figures of Star and Michael blurring into the background.

"Well, well, well. Look who's decided to come outta the shadows. I thought you were getting gum, Sierra? Not hiding behind a brick wall" Delilah mockingly chuckles, her smirk heightening at a rapid speed.

"Shut up, and get to the bike – now" the hunger for the taste of nicotine overrules me again as I inhale yet another revolting drag of the cigarette. Is this the genesis of a new addiction though or is it Delilah's order consuming me?

I flick the disgusting thing away, ridding myself of Delilah's rule whilst exhaling out smoke. I liberate my eyes from Delilah as I hear footsteps advancing towards me.

"Sierra?" an unnerved voice speaks out in a reserved pitch that reminds me of a timid child wanting to seek attention from a teacher. My head twists around to face Michael, the very sight of him causes me to unleash fresh tears from my sparkling eyes. But I can't reveal my upset, my tears can no longer be shown on the outside.

He looks utterly fatigued. There are bloated grey rings that curve around the bottom of his beautiful exhausted eyes that are masked by traces of red. His usually impeccably sculpted loose curls are now chaotic from lack of tending. I can't believe what effect this has had on Michael, this isn't him at all.

"Is it really you?"

Has my appearance notably altered itself so much during these past few days since Michael and I last viewed each other? Is this what Dwayne and David have been pursuing for? Have they wanted me to metamorphose so dramatically that not even those closest to me can recognize who I am? I just stand in the same place, staring in horrification at Michael. David hasn't recreated just me, he's inflicting the detestable transformation onto everyone else as well.

Delilah frees a hyperbolic yawn to demonstrate her impassibility. I rip my eyes free of Michael as he calmly approaches me, I can't look into his eyes without yearning to return back to him. Then again, I don't have to look to have that strong desire.

"Baby?" a clement hand grazes across my cheek, sending revered tingles down my spine. The momentum to constrain myself from gazing up at Michael to see his archangelic face is incredibly strong. But I can't view him, for if I do then I'm subjected to never unshackle myself from his presence.

"We're going now" my voice shudders from the battle with my tears where I'm repelling them from liberating themselves. Delilah stands there sinisterly chuckling at my endeavours to be the authoritative one, her smirk broadening into something that makes the hairs on my arms straighten. "_Now_" I then demand with a much more omnipotent tone. To my demise, this causes Delilah's chuckling to become absurd.

"What'd you think of the new Sierra, Mike? Pretty hot, huh?" her cackling ceases, I'm dreading to think what is going to be freed from her mouth. "She can get any man she wants. If it isn't a problem with Dwayne though... yeah, he might have an issue with that" I couldn't care less what Dwayne wants me to do! Why is Delilah doing this? Why is she feasting them with misrepresentations of my emotions? "I'm bored now, let's go, Sierra"

I escalate my left foot in order to abandon Michael and Star, that lifting of a foot signals them to protest. I free a piercing groan of extreme pain as Michael grasps onto the ensanguined ruptures composed by David's serrated claws. It is such a torturous sting; the pain of it is so agonizing it feels as if a million daggers are attacking me.

"Sierra! Little sis, are you ok?" I glare at Delilah who by now seems to have identified a sense of worriment for her sister. A raspy breath interrupts the gap of silence between the three of us as Michael's finger lightly traces the circular blotches of purple and blue on my arm. Star marches over, wrenching Delilah from my relaxation sector before staring at the red thick blood dribbling from my arm in revulsion. Her facial expression is indescribable, the only word to illustrate her face is disbelief.

Michael manoeuvres his fingers to my arm where they delicately expose my stained bicep that's fenced by small ovals splotches of multitude colours mainly involving purple. I can feel Michael striping off the denim rag, the sensation of relief combined with a spasm of suffering throbs.

"What the..." Michael begins, unable to complete his sentence as my wounds are slightly publicized.

"Michael, please..." my pleas to spare him from the loathsome revelation of the elongation violence imposed by David, are shattered as Michael removes the denim rag to publish the four holes masked by a thin sheen of glazed blood.

"Star, come inside with me" Delilah orders in a hesitant tone, vanishing into the Boardwalk with a disheartened Star staggering after her.

Now it's only Michael and I in the godforsaken area together, and for some atypical reason, I disdain every moment of it.

"Who did it, Sierra?" Michael questions in an entirely critical voice like my injuries are some kind of crisis that needs urgent assistance. I go against my previous wishes, seeking in Michael's soulful blue eyes for the truth to emerge from his lips. He knows the answer, but he just doesn't want to fathom it. "Dwayne. He did this to you. Sierra, baby, did he?" My watery eyes can't be disconnected from his that intensely hunt for honesty. No words can slip out of my mouth. I have the answer to his inquest; it's just suppressed deep inside of me, veiled by degradation. "He forced you, didn't he?"

What's the definition of 'forced'? Does forced in this context mean Dwayne misleading me into believing he owned romantic feelings for me? Does it mean Dwayne pressing his lips onto mine against my own will? Does it mean being commanded into something further? I don't know the explanation of forced anymore, only that its cost me everything I was.

"He hurt you just so he could –" Michael pauses abruptly for a second, the vulgar words refusing to leave his mouth as the thought of what Dwayne could have done to me sickens him. "So he could – " he ventures to say his hypothesis, but the thought repeating in his brain turns his stomach.

My eyes consumed with salty droplets of unproduced tears watch as Michael revolves around towards the brick wall sheathed in the faces of missing victim's fallen prey to the hideous pack of vampires of Santa Carla.

"No" is all my voicebox can engineer in the softest tone known to man. Michael immediately spins around in my direction to face me, his facial expression exasperated if not slightly showing he's dubious over my brief statement. "Dwayne didn't do it. David. David did it"

The very recognition of David makes me shiver in dread. I despise the flash of his platinum blonde locks and demon gold eyes in my mind. It's like he has possessed me to be his. He has done exactly that though, David has bought me from a blissful life and escorted me to his limbo between the living and immortality.

Michael meanders over to me, his sturdy frame becoming imminent with mine. His sight examines my refreshed attire, his features gleam his stupefaction. His eyes scan my wound again, ingesting the total disgust.

"Christ, what've they done to you?" Michael rhetorically asks. I want to inform him every last detail of what these past few days have manifested, from the precise moment Dwayne arose to this unlikely reconciliation. "Did you leave me for Dwayne?"

My mind spirals back to the night where I found myself not being estranged from Dwayne any longer, I was wary and my head was disorientated. I have the logic from that night now; Michael was the innocent one, as was Pepsi. That dramatic night I was hoping that Dwayne and I could have discussed matters like friends, I now realise I was completely gullible to have believed Dwayne wanted the same as me. Dwayne will never prefer friendship from me, he only commands love. He will never possess any of those two things now, the only relationship he can ever have from me is one of hatred.

"No, Michael"

"Then why?" his tone has altered from one of perturb to frustration.

I can understand that my succinct replies must be infuriating, but I have no idea how else to answer. I can't preserve the truth until it rots away, I have to inform him at one point. He deserves an explanation to why I didn't return that night.

"They were gonna kill Laddie. David gave me a choice; it was either my life or Laddie's" Finally, I've confessed. I can see Michael's features contort into a state of raging fury, his breathing rate increasing. "I'm gonna be okay, Michael" I then say comfortingly to reassure him.

It's nothing but a lie though, and by the looks of Michael's face, he knows it is a deceit in order to fool him. Michael isn't stupid, he always uncovers my untruths.

"So they've threatened you, they've abused you, dressed you up so you can attract and feed on some guy, and you think you're gonna be okay?" Michael bellows, venting the animosity that has been mounting inside of him.

I stare at him for a moment. His disgruntled appearance suggests that he has been through more than me, I wonder what he has been doing whilst I've been away. I just hope that he hasn't harmed himself in any way.

"See you later, Michael" Michael latches onto my waist, vigilantly hauling me to his chest with a hand clutching around the back of my head.

"I'm not losing you again, Sierra. I've lost you twice now, and I'm not losing you again" Michael's voice shines with earnest, quaking a little from the power. "I'm not letting them hurt you again, baby. They've got you so tight in their trap that you can't see what they're doing to you"

I know what they are doing to me; I have physical evidence for what Dwayne and David are burdening upon me. I can't admit defeat though.

"I'm sorry about the last time I saw you, I shouldn't have talked to you that way. Your cheek isn't too bad is it?" a surge of fierce warmth rushes across the palm of the hand that struck Michael.

"Forget about it, baby. I've got you back now, and that's all that –"

"I'm your girlfriend, Michael! No girlfriend should ever treat their boyfriend like that! You did nothing but good to me, and I threw it back in your face!" I yell, thrusting Michael's arm off of me. "When David had me exactly where he wanted me, you offered your life for my safety – you forgave me every time we had an argument caused by me – you were the first person in my whole fucking life who took care of me properly! Then Pepsi came along, and I felt guilt from what happened with Dwayne. Yes, Dwayne kissed me before but I had some sort of feelings for him afterwards – I loved you so much though, Michael, and you have no idea how much I didn't wanna hurt you. I don't wanna hurt you now! I found out Pepsi was getting a bit of David's mind games, so that made me feel even shittier than I already did! You're the first person I've felt so much for; I love you and look what I've done. Because I was so freaked out of hurting everyone's feelings, I didn't realise how much of mess I was making of everything. I'm not doing it anymore, Michael – I'm not fucking doing it anymore. So I'm gonna leave now, and please, Michael – don't ever look for me"

I pant heavily, realising how much I've changed myself. The old me would not have dared to speak like that to anyone, it seems the new me who David has authority over has other tactics though. Michael strides over to me before I can scream out objections, and captures my cheeks with his freezing hands.

Suddenly, as Michael's silken lips collide with mine, a feeling I haven't experienced in what seems like an everlasting few days florishes. It's a pleasant sensation, the sensation of adrenaline circuiting in my heart is the sign that life is prevailing, that abhorrent vampire side hasn't invaded completely yet. For the first time in three days, the 72 hours that seem like a million, I feel guarded from all of the insecurities strangling me and the dangers I belong to. I don't feel as if I'm David's property, Michael's brought me back into his arms. The breathtaking feeling is so strong, it abides even after our lips separate.

"I will look for you, Sierra" Michael informs me, stroking my blushing cheek tenderly whist intently gazing into my eyes. "I offered my life for you because I wanted you to be safe. I forgave you because I didn't wanna lose you. I took care of you because I love you. This isn't you, baby. This is what David's made you into"

He's correct, David has redesigned me so I am another version of him in female form – so I'm an exact replica of Delilah. Michael readjusts his view so it is surveying my wound, grimacing at it in nauseation.

"Let's sit down and get that bandaged up" he leads me over to a shadowy corner, first sitting down himself before spreading his legs, gesturing I should situate myself in between them. I accept his gesture and place myself on the spacious gap of smooth concrete.

Michael circles the white bandage with a rough texture around the dyed wound several times before tying a knot, his touch being one of care. I thank him with sincerity, my voice hushed with stupor from my outburst that was unforeseen from both Michael and myself. He replies with his speciality crooked smile, the smile only given to those he cares for.

Whenever I visited Michael at his house in the desolate area far away from town, he would smile like that to his mom and brother if they did something to warm his heart or amuse him. I find it odd how I remember little things such as this, my brain is absorbed with recollections like the way Michael smiles when in the presence of someone worth his affection. I noticed that at times he would present Star with this smile, also to Laddie and the group of wild musicians I have the pleasure of calling my closest friends. With Star, instead of feeling the agony of envy, I felt happiness – happiness from how the three of us had developed a relationship so healthy, knowing that if we could overpower David, we could do it to anyone.

For a certain time I felt as if I could have vanquished anyone I wished, until the beginning of the week where every single thing I thought had sustained through the battle and unearthing of deplorable truths, deteriorated before my very eyes.

It's only now I realise, I'm not ready to die. I'm not prepared emotionally or mentally to endure the rest of the Earth's lifetime with a pack of creatures who I find insufferable.

What if my father loses his way again? My brothers won't have anyone but each other; there will be no maternal figure in their life. When I reflect back on the times where I was basically their mother and father, I think of how selfish I was to have been in a mindset of depression and dwelling on the removal of my parents' duties.

The countless times my Aunt Madeline – my fathers' sister – recommended that Edgar, Alan and I should move to San Francisco to reside with her in order to shelter us from Santa Carla's worst nightmares, and we were forbidden from going. Somehow, it made me think my mother and father had some sort of fondness for their children.

Another memory dashes into my head. One time, late in the darkness of night, my mom came to my room and stood by my bed for a while. She wasn't doing anything but standing there, gazing at me as I gawked at her in puzzlement. Then in the most sentimental voice, she whispered – 'Heaven's got a plan for you, Sierra May Frog, and it'll be the best thing that will ever happen to you'. Then, she departed without another word, leaving me with the determination that she was high once again. Little did I know at the time that she was partially correct.

Linking back to my previous statement, I may not be ready for this unnatural transaction, but at least I know whilst in the process, I am fighting for what's right. An innocent childs life could have been at stake, Laddie would have died, David would have murdered him. With me around to keep Laddie secure from David's savage schemes, that plan will never become a horrific reality.

"I have something to give you" Michael destroys my session of reminiscing and deep-thinking, placing a frosty item on my index finger.

However, my view has been averted to someplace else – the shadows masquerading the monster of evil.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Please review to let me know what you thought :) **

**Ooh, also hope that you like the new icon/image. Finally got Photoshop :D not only this, but I've wrote a one-shot of Dwayne, got severely bored one night, so you know! Let me know if you want me to post it :3 **

**Thanks for reading! :D **


	22. Persuing The Sun

He silently advances through his veil of darkness, each of his footsteps eclipsing the wrathful promises once imposed onto me, and his natural terror. He has discovered us. By the malicious shine glistening in his pale blue eyes, I can just tell this unintentional meeting between Michael and I is going to have a detrimental repercussion. His whole demeanour provokes jeopardy – even the devil wouldn't recognize him. Those eyes, that distant and cold stare, commands my departure from sanctuary.

Another figure uncovers their identity, instead of using his eyes to display dictation, he uses them to present his forlornness and outrage. David snaps out his hand to prevent Dwayne from marching over and towing me away from Michael. Dwayne has made his envy visible before, and not just with Michael.

I remember one specific occasion when I was fifteen years old; I had been acquainted with the guys and adorned their earring of devotion for a year. It was a sweltering summers night, the best time of the year for weather such as that. The guys had inveigled my boyfriend of the time, Carlos Snow – a distinguished jock who I had known since I was enrolled in high school but only begun an liason with him at the start of the 1985 summer – into accompanying us to the cave where he would prematurely be introduced to the famished vampires thirsting for a taste of his crimson blood. Dwayne had lured me onto his motorbike and never deserted my side. Every word he uttered to Carlos was sneered, every look was a glare, and his affection towards me grew possessive.

The missing posters had commenced breaching the walls of Santa Carla two days subsequent to his first meeting with the group of nameless vampires who had enticed him to his death at The Boardwalk under the spiralling amusement wheel with coruscating royal blue and scarlet lights.

_"Come to your brother, Sierra. Time to go" _David's formidable voice silently quests from his mind to mine. I tear my view from my two abductors, and onto Michael who stares at me as if he is in suspense, waiting for an answer to a question my ears did not perceive. His fingers clutch onto mine, the elegant pattern of lace imprinting his.

"I need to go" my words shiver, and I am combating off tears aching to show my weakness – affection to Michael and not wanting to abandon him once more. Michael's eyes remain fixed to mine, the emotion in them has altered dramatically though.

_"We're waiting for you, Sierra" _David pressurizes my withdrawal from Michael's arms with another message delivered through mind waves.

If only he could be charitable enough to give me just another moment in time where I can further explain to him about the events of these past few days before saying goodbye for a final time. This is David though, his heart is nothing. He has no heart.

My eyes move down to the metal object on my finger, it's the diamond ring Lucy had informed me about. The clear gem shimmers under the moon, just like the blue ocean does, the polished silver encircling my finger. It is flawless, absolutely exquisite. Every word I can conceive in the future has been snatched from my mouth, it is perfect.

"Michael," I start in an astounded voice, the beauty of the faithful rock and the fact Michael purchased this just for me causes the rest of my sentence to arrive in stutters. "I-I, I can't take this"

It wouldn't be right for me to keep the ring. I will be departing very soon, and it will most likely be the last time I see Michael. Maintaining it in my property will only burden me with the recaptures of how I deserted him for the second time, and how he will never truly consent that I am doing this for everyone's safety.

David agreed with me that if I joined him, Laddie would be guarded from his evil. However I fear that if I take the brave, rare chance of escaping them, they will seize Laddie from security and never return him to it.

I slip the ring off my finger and situate it in Michael's palm where he shifts his view to look at the present in sorrow. The sorrow transforms into annoyance, then to its concluding stage of vexation. I have since arose from the concrete gap between Michael's denim jean legs, and am now observing the radical changes in his mood. Michael's head yanks up, dark curls moving sharply with his head.

"You're going back to him, aren't you?" Michael laughs, madness has officially overruled him – his worst fear and paranoia are publicizing themselves to me. He gets up from the sitting position, coming over to me. "You don't love me at all, you love him. You love Dwayne, tell me you do, Sierra"

I feel another burst of fury rushing through me, ready to break free out of my mouth.

"I've explained to you already, Michael!" I yell, that defending and cruel side of a vampire liberating itself from kindness. I cannot deny what I am now – the beginning of a ruthless killer – nor can I pretend that I am fully human, there have been too many side effects to what I'm metamorphosing into. "I've said everything to you; if you choose not to listen to me then you do that! No, I don't love Dwayne. There, you have your answer!"

Michael watches me with stupefaction, but an almighty fire is brewing inside of him, I can see it in his eyes.

"Then why are you giving this back to me? Why are you leaving?"

"I've already told you, Michael!" I shout in the loudest voice known to man. I can't believe yet again we are raising our voices to broadcast our messages and make them more coherent for our own benefits. "Why aren't you listening to – "

"You do not have to do this to yourself to save Laddie!" he barks, his face encroaching my comfort area. "Or me, or Star, or your family!"

The first thing I notice are his dark eyelashes bordering his stunning eyes that never fail in soothing me. They are profuse with anger from the mistrust of my previous truths that originates from his paranoid mind, depression from his loss of a lover, and finally, desperation for me to stay.

"We've beaten them before, Sierra. We can do it again. I'm not losing you; I've said that before – if you choose not to listen to me then you do that" Michael mirrors my words, using them against me.

"Ok, so we beat them. Then why are two of them still alive, Michael?" I couldn't care less whether Dwayne and David hear my bellows scorning them. I can't care anymore after everything they have done to me.

"David escaped death. You can answer the other one for yourself, can't you, Sierra?" I glower at Michael, how can he dare say this to me? He has no idea about what happened that night.

That kiss felt as if I was in a trance, as if I were shoved out of my body with no say in what rights I had. Suddenly, I notice how my feelings have changed towards that kiss. It is like I am finally allowed to feel what I wish to feel, to think what I wish to muse again – like a colossal master has been removed from my life.

_"Dwayne's waiting for you, Sierra – I'm waiting for you" _my head squirms; I want to murder these voices – their voices that transparently manifest immorality.

"I've answered it too many times, Michael. You should know my answer off by heart now" It seems that spiteful remarks are reflecting from Michael onto me, to and fro.

I've informed him that I am not going to portray a girl who is petrified of others inflicting harm on them. Instead I am a woman, this woman has only been revived from her former decayed self because of witnessing a loved one being hurt – and now she has possessed me, screaming at me that in order to make me stronger, she has to reside within me forever.

"Because he kissed you, you let him go. Great job, Sierra, that's one hell of a reason to let a vampire go" Michael's sarcastic words are the truth, the wise truth I have been blindly hungering to hear from his lips.

Something happened in his kiss, the connection of Dwayne's lips touching mine was powerful, and that power dominated me. Now that I can really think about it, was it all a dream? Something I had concocted in my head? No, I couldn't have been, it was too vivid a scenario for it not to be real. It was far too realistic – the senses, the emotions – for it to be envisioned in my head.

"Sierra, I love –"

Unexpectedly, the speech around me becomes indistinct, like fog has assembled in my head. What's happening? Michael's composed voice, exhibiting his angers failure, has disappeared just like I did – hastily and out of the blue.

_"Would he be saying that to you, Sierra, if he loved you?"_ Dwayne has replaced David as the authoritative one. Michael's lips open and close at a fast pace, yet nothing exits. _"I love you though, Sierra. I've always loved you" _

"I almost killed you, baby –" I swallow hard, I want nothing but to be rid of the intervolving voices.

_"He would've killed you, Sierra. He could've killed you, Sierra" _David. Why won't those two vampires cease to exist? _"It's only because you ran away, you saved yourself" _

"Sierra, are you even listening to me?" Another bead of sweat drips down my forehead, my nerves are starting to emerge.

_"Come to us, Sierra" _I peer up to the velvet skies in despondency, who is up there to aid me? I need a hero, where are they when I desperately need them?

"Sierra?"

_"Sierra" _

Their wish has been fulfilled, I have gone insane with the repeat of my own name.

"Stop! Just shut up! Go away, leave me alone!" I scream, breathing heavily, my chest heaving up and down at the speed of light, and several tears spilling out of my eyes. My watery eyes land onto a stunned Michael whose eyes have expanded in size, and has taken a few steps back so he can release himself from the presence of an unusual stranger. "Michael, no, not you"

Michael shakes his head at me in disbelief, turning around and storming out of my sight. Dwayne has gotten exactly what he craved for – me with no Michael in the picture. Michael has gone. The door booms as it slams shut, a waft of air dashing towards me before attacking, my hair rising up then softly going back into place as if it were rehearsed to perfection. My slender fingers lightly trace under my exhausted eyes, abolishing any evidence of saddened tears. I'm nothing if I can't have Michael, he was the one who constantly rescued me without fail – now he's gone, driven away by who I have been designed into.

I take one step forward, he pledged that he wasn't going to lose me again – I'm not going to lose him either.

Tuts of disapproval distract me though, I spin around only to view the blonde hair and icy hateful eyes of David with Dwayne arrogantly stood by his side. I feel nothing for them but sheer hatred. David wags his finger at me, a smirk etched on his mouth.

"Bad girl, Sierra! You weren't gonna go after him, were you?" I glare at him, he has the knowledge of my answer, he has always had that one piece of valuable information to press against me. "Because you are so in love with him, aren't you? He knows exactly how you feel now, leave him be for now, darling" David slackly paces over to me, when he reaches his destination only inches away from my face, he tucks a glossy cocoa ringlet behind my ear where the loyalty to him suspends. "Let's split, there's nothing else to do around here now"

A flash of Delilah's face drowned in noticeable cosmetics whose only role in life is to form impeccability and annihilate all blemishes, accesses my thoughts. Delilah had retreated with Star before she could be the spectator to any quarrels between Michael and I.

"What about Delilah?" I ask. David raises an eyebrow, gesturing at the iron door that leads to the backstage of the performing stage where Jimmy, River and Jude flaunt their talents at a night, as if regarding her exit.

"Let Delilah have her fun, she'll be back soon" A polar arm slithers around my waist, the owners fist grasping a black segment of the fabric to leash me to their side. I am no longer granting Dwayne to infringe my exclusive zone of ease. A haze of silver toxicity soars from David's fingers, its acrid scent of charred bitterness diving into my nostrils. "You look like you could do with it, Sierra. Seriously, you look shit"

I shake my head, declining his offer. I mistake it as a suggestion, it's really another one of his commands for me to resemble a female version of him. There are so many things they aspire to revolutionize me into – a scorching cigarette in one fingerless lace gloved hand, cherry lipstick encrusted on my lips, extensive dark tresses emerging from my roots, and a chest flaunting black dress that clings to my slim hourglass figure – I am the ideal prey for a man, and the flawless bait for blood, this is what they intend to employ me as.

"I'm good, thanks, David" I daintily push David's hand back only for him to thrust the flaming cigarette in front of my face, the scathing pillar of dusky fumes ascends into my eyes like pepper.

Whenever Edgar, Alan and I had a vacation away from Santa Carla and with my Aunt Madeline in San Francisco, we would be presented with my Aunt's special dish of lasagne. The lasagne would have the normal layers of pasta and meat, and my aunt would scatter a bed of black pepper on top. Edgar, Alan and I would be sobbing at her aged country table because of the sting, our eyes leaking with painful tears. This was how our grandmother had taught her to make it though years before, and the recipe lingered in her taste of fine cuisine ever since that one lesson. The aroma of the smoke is even more excruciating than my aunt's notorious lasagne; it's a wonder how no tears are shed.

"Take it, Sierra – now" Immediately, I snatch it from him but do not take any drags from it. "Good girl. Like I said before you started worrying about Delilah, let's spilt. In the mood for pizza, Sierra? Or do you wanna be healthy like usual and stick to the salads?" I shrug, implying that I don't care, it's not like I have a say in decisions he makes anyway, whether David inquires for my opinion or not. "Don't worry, Sierra! It's not like you're gonna be going back to the cheerleading team anytime soon. I'm sure Dwayne here would just love to see you in a short skirt – or less than that. I think he'd prefer less"

"Come on, Sierra" Dwayne rolls his eyes at David's comment, hauling me away over to the bikes. I abide by his side, I am no longer so naive to retaliate with their directions now without the consequence terrorising my mind.

"Told you it would all work out, Dwayne-O! I do it all the time, and it works like a charm!" David mutters in Dwayne's ear. What is he talking about? What works all the time like a charm? What persecuting advice has David shared with Dwayne?

David pats Dwayne heartily on the back in a way of congratulations and assurance, then mounts onto his bike.

"Too bad your girl's as feisty as hell with you! Then again, that could come in useful at one point, if you get what I mean?" I arch a pampered brown eyebrow at David, responding to his indirect reference to sex, only for him to cackle sinisterly at this and throw his hands up in self-defence. "What? It could! We've all done the same thing!" Dwayne inhabits in his reserved self, striving not to snicker at David's disgraceful comments.

I refuse to accompany Dwayne anywhere, so instead, I climb onto the back of David's bike with his aid.

The rusting door flies open! A screeching Delilah bolts out of the Boardwalk with some sort of magazine clasped in her fist.

When Delilah was human, not a creature of the night, she would acquire any magazine that came out with the little money she had just so she could cut out the images of celebrities, models and comical images to garnish her bland walls in her bedroom. Her bedroom was practically her home as Delilah leaving it was a rare occurrence. Rock music, mostly Twisted Sister, would blast out of the cracks of her postered door whilst she admired the famous, yearning to be them and be unshackled from life at home.

Roars of raving irritation chase after her, the voice sounds so recognizable, like I have heard it in the past. It's a very nasal rasp, like their voicebox echoes out of his nose.

"Move your ass, Sierra!" Delilah shrieks in a fit of hysterical cackles. "You're in my damn seat!" I don't move an inch, disobeying her feels incredible. "Screw you then!" She flings her left leg over the backseat of Dwayne's motorbike; David leans down a little to catch a glimpse of what is under her inflamed ra-ra skirt made from a synthetic white material. "Bad, David! Bad!" Delilah then teasingly scolds, smacking him with the magazine that has been rolled up into a cylinder shape.

"I'm sure Dwayne does the same to Sierra! Plus, I bought you that outfit, including what's under it, therefore I have a right to see!" David chuckles, returning the playful hit with a hint of more force. Delilah just sticks out her tongue and blows a thunderous raspberry. Dwayne's chocolate brown eyes, the eyes that fooled and eventually betrayed me, trail up to look at me. I shun them though, flicking my head to stare just past David's head to see the enervated boy who I recall as being named Arnie, weakly pointing his limp arm towards the posse of vampires who keep their identity a mystery to the public.

Arnie Malone, a fourteen year old boy who has been employed at my family's comic store for three months at night, stands in the silhouette of the rectangular doorframe, the electric light hanging above the door makes him visible to the naked eye. His dirty blonde hair is oiled in grease and combed over to one side. Beige chinos swamp from his matchstick thighs that have developed very little muscle over his ongoing teenage period, over a buttoned down, collared white shirt is a chequered sweater vest in the tasteless colours of lilac and brown, and his feet are protected in well groomed loafers shining under the moonlight, his high bleached white socks showing clearly. Around his emerald green eyes is a pair of thick rimmed black glasses with evident baby pink and silver plasters that act as tape bandaged around damages. I don't know much about Arnie apart from that his sister, Beth, is a friend of mine who I met at dance classes when I was sixteen. I had been doing dancing for at least twelve years by then and she had only joined the class because the one she went to was too expensive. Other than that, he keeps himself to himself at the desk or in a desolate corner of the comic store.

"You gotta be fucking kiddin' me" David says in a blatant incredulous voice, his eyes boring into Arnie's scrawny frame.

"Give... give the... the," he pauses for a few second to catch his breath. "the comic book back!"

"I'm the daughter of the owners; I can take whatever stupid comic I want, dweeb!" Delilah shouts boisterously. Why she has to generate a pedantic dispute with others I will never know, I just presume she gets some sort of pleasure out of it.

"Sure, sure you are! That's not a very amusing joke considering the bosses' daughters are both missing – as you can see!" Arnie angrily prods at the middle of the two missing advertisements – the dilapidated and faded one promoting Delilah, and the fresh and pristine one broadcasting my disappearance. I hear someone wolf-whistle, it's David.

"Hot, Delilah! No way did you look like that!" David howls buoyantly.

"What? So I don't look hot now?" Delilah questions in mock offense. "Woah, Sierra! Nice outfit, we should get you a leather jacket like that one! Naw, that's what you look like when you're happy!"

Arnie puffs on his inhaler before stuffing it back into his trouser pocket, obviously attempting to pacify his alarm.

"No...no way. Sierra? What are you doing with these... these, hoodlums?" Arnie exclaims, digging into the depths of his pocket to find his inhaler. "I bet they haven't read a book in their entire lives!"

Delilah emphatically gasps, her hand compressed onto her chest, and her mouth hanging wide enough to net flies in. David just chuckles at her pretending to be insulted.

"We've read things before; it just wasn't the words I was interested in. You wouldn't know, the only thing that gets you excited is equations, it isn't only the answer in your head popping up!" Everyone, excluding me and Arnie, laughs uncontrollably at David's retort. I can't help myself but to feel some sort of heartache for Arnie, he is only trying to shield himself.

Arnie's customary quiet disposition alternates. His nostrils flare expeditiously; I swear that I can see steam levitating off from his body, and his fists are clenched so tightly that he could rupture titanium.

"How dare you!" Arnie snatches his own glasses from the bridge of his lengthy nose. "I'll have you know, my father is a police officer and I will report you for thievery and harassment!"

David sighs intensely, exhaling the smoke from his cigarette, then taking another drag of the addictive stick as he gets off of the bike. On his travels he lifts me up and pins me to his side before I have the chance to flee. We stroll at an unhurried pace together, Arnie conflicts with himself to preserve that raging demeanour as David begins to threaten his very existence. Once we are both proximate with Arnie, David crouches down to frighten him even further.

"Unless you want that comic shoved where the sun don't shine, I wouldn't be telling anyone. Got it, kid?" David snarls. I take note of the fearful tears escalating in Arnie's eyes, he doesn't stand a chance now that David has enclosed himself on him.

"Go" I mouth. Arnie manages a thankful smile, and then scrambles off back to the comic store where he will try to erase the terrifying confrontation. David criminally chuckles again, I've adjusted myself not to get afraid of it.

There are more voices heard from the corridor where Arnie has just escaped a wretched fate. David presses his ear to the metal door, snagging me there as well. I take this as an opportunity to overhear, all of my concentration set on listening. Most of the voices are veiled by Arnie's frantic shrieking, I can scarcely detect who the voices belong to. There is a swift crack of a hand colliding with skin.

"Get a hold of yourself, man!" a gruff voice orders – Edgar. Arnie however, continues to screech, just in a more reticent pitch. "Now, if you don't mind, could you stop screaming like a little girl and tell me what the hell happened?"

"Edgar, take Arnie inside and give him a joint to calm his nerves – ok, maybe not a joint, a hot cocoa will do" Now it is my dad speaking, I just hope he doesn't open that door to see the state of both of his daughters.

Edgar must have removed Arnie as the frenzied bawling has died away.

"Come on, Michael, let's go out there. Got your stake?" David drags a struggling me back to the bike, I have to get away from him if Michael and my father are arriving. For some strange reason, I'm beginning to have doubts over David's promise of avoiding Laddie.

"Stop it, Sierra. Little sis, stop fighting" Delilah scolds just as the engines erupt into tremendous growls. Somewhere deep down in her eyes, I could see an element of concern for me.

The door where so many people have entered and exited tonight groans at the hinges as it opens. My dad protectively situates himself in front of Michael, his arm outstretched as he knows just as well as I do that if Michael captures even a glimpse of Dwayne, he will instantly transform into a monster and assault.

All I desire to do is apologize to Michael for putting him through this, and to my father for leaving so suddenly like Delilah did. If I could just ask for their forgiveness, whether they pardon me or not, then I would be a little more at peace than now.

"Blow her one last kiss, Mikey!" Delilah uproariously hollers, waving goodbye to Michael and blowing many kisses.

I enlarge my mouth to bellow out the names of the men whose heads have snapped to face us, instead I am startled as the bike roars even more fiercely and begins to move at an electric speed!

Michael and my father's faces grow smaller and smaller, until they are totally dissipated. My heart drowns as I think – my father didn't even recognize Delilah.

"Sierra!" a million rebounds of Michael's voice calling out my name in panic.

I whip my head back, a spot of light expands as we drive through the mist encompassing this certain area of the beach. The bikes relinquish the rolling of the waves behind us, Delilah and David's whooping carries on into the forest where the thick fog produced by nature hovers around the extended stumps of trees.

The rumbling of another vehicle becomes parallel with the bike. I squint my eyes, the cloaking fog makes it extremely complicated to distinguish who the driver is. For all I know, it could be either of two people – Dwayne or Michael.

"Sierra!" a suppressed voice barks, it isn't Dwayne. A hand reaches out of the fog, then after that – Michael. "Sierra! Take my hand!"

My bike increases in speed, as does Michael's.

"Sierra! Take it!" Michael screams, his voice strained from worry and effort. He manoeuvres the bike closer to me. "Baby, grab onto it!"

The pressure displays on his face as he elongates his arm. I do the same with mine, our fingers only centimetres away from each other.

David makes the gap between the bike and Michael lengthen. Michael drives nearer, determined to rescue me. I keep on stretching out my arm.

"Come on, baby! You're almost there! You can do it, Sierra!" I can do this. Only inches away, I can make it. "Sierra! Take it! Now!"

David's bike swerves! David is doing this on purpose, it is all part of his calculated scheme to chain me away from Michael. Michael grasps onto my hand just in the nick of time! It was going to happen eventually, either Michael or David wins me. All of a sudden, there is a shooting pain at the side of left thigh, my head throbs with an unbearable pain. My thoughts have been sedated as has the ambience surrounding me. The both of us tumble to the ground, dusty particles escalating up into the air, then evaporating into another dimension.

My airways have narrowed, the abrupt shock depriving me of oxygen. I hear grunts of suffering next to me – Michael!

"I've got you back" Michael breathes, gasping for air. He flimsily holds my head to his chest, stroking my windswept hair. "I've... I've got you – back" A teardrop discharges itself from my eye, dribbling down my cheek and moistening an insignificant sector of Michael's shirt.

"I'm sorry, I – I wasn't shouting at you. They – they were – doing –"

"It's ok, baby. I've got you" Michael endeavours to motion his leg so he can stand up, a sharp groan updates me that the pain is making it impossible for him to move. "I need to get – to get you outta here"

Darkness is closing in on the both of us; Michael's hand ceases any movement. I can still hear his heart beating, to my relief he isn't dead, he has just passed out.

"Michael?" my faint voice rasps. "Michael? We've – we've gotta – gotta go" My weak arms pursuit to gather Michael up so I can place him on the motorbike. Though I have no clear idea on how to handle a motorbike, I would do anything to get Michael to safety. I can't though, all energy has been drained out from me, I continue to try though, hoping that a little piece of energy will help the both of us.

Villainous laughter circulates the area around me in echoes. An bleary figure who boasts domineering powers bends down over an unconscious Michael and myself.

"Nice try, Sierra. When are you gonna learn that you are mine now?" David sneers. The night is fading into my mind, soon I will be asleep and unaware of the events taking place, I will not be in control of my body. Then again, have I ever been? I have been so weak, so mentally frail that I haven't defended myself. It's time I change - for myself and those I love.

"Don't hurt," the last things I can hear are David's cackling and the pulsation of Michael's heart "him"

My head slumps down on a muscular surface. Darkness is here, will it ever go away?

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Thank you for reading, and thank you for those who also reviewed on the last chapter. For EvilFalconOfDoom: Thanks for the inspiration of Arnie and giving me the name! I loved writing him ;) **

**Anyway, thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed :D **


	23. Deception

_The word 'dishonest' reverberates inside of my head, only one voice uttering it in an essential tone. It spirals around, the darkness I surrendered to mightily dominates, yet the word is as pellucid as crystal. _

_"Marko?" Like the word, my appeal for the person's identity echoes until it simply dematerializes, abandoning the lonesome person who continues to whisper the word. "Paul?" _

_The darkness initiates in bleaching, the climate around germinating to expose where I truly am. The first thing I perceive is the abstruse screen of mist, the foreshadowing haze has chaperoned me into this world of hallucinations that only comes forth when one descends into a deadening slumber where the outside world vanishes as soon as you fall. The thick mist divides, fading away at a rapid speed until there is nothing. Before it evolved into extinction, the fog shrouded two significant figures in my life. I speedily scope my environment, I cannot forsake where I am – Hudson's Bluff. _

_Instantly, Michael infiltrates my foremost thoughts – where is he? Has this dreamworld suctioned him into the nonexistent earth underneath me? Or has he dispersed with the grains of dehydrated dirt into the wind? A hand reaches down to me in order to assist me up from my panicked sitting position on the ground. I accept it, they immediately clutch onto my hand, using it to their strengths advantage, and haul me off of the natural floor, millions of dirt particles floating up into the nights portrait as I release them from my weight. _

_"You up for a ride, hottie?" Marko chuckles, scooping me up into his arms before jogging over to his newest motorbike that has been added to his extensive list of vehicles. _

_The motorbike is a rare beauty; it has stainless steel so pristine that it can show an exact reflection of something, and has a colour so unnaturally beautiful it must have been designed by our creators just for Marko's heaven of drunken nights and driving. _

_A sound of low roaring accelerates throughout this eerie atmosphere, until it vanquishes the fogs' smothering entwinement – Paul. Paul with his military inspired outfit and backcombed blonde hair, emerges from the mist, dismounting his motorbike with hast. _

_"Bro, have you told her?" Paul interrogates, what does he have to inform me, and does it connect to the word that cycled inside of my head? _

_Marko unpremeditatedly returns me to the ground, preparing himself to educate me of what seems like a fundamental issue that may conclude in life or death. He attempts to gather up ideas in his head for what his speech should consist of – too much information could waste time, but too little could leave me hopeless. In the end, Marko thrusts a inconsolable look Paul's way. Paul rolls his eyes, once again having to deliver a speech due to Marko's absence of words. He marches over to me, tilting my chin so my eyes directly stare into his. _

_"They're lying to you, Sierra. It's all a scheme, a scheme to mess the hell up with your mind. It all started during the battle and they've continued it until the night where everything changed. It wasn't your fault, Sierra. You can beat it though, Sierra, all you need to do is remember – you are in control of your own body, and nobody, not even vampires can take that away. So when you wake up just remember – they're lying" _

_Marko and Paul fade away into the mist, leaving me by myself. All I can think of is what Paul said - they are lying, and they have always been lying. _

* * *

Gracefully, my eyes flutter open, I have returned to the authentic world of nightmares. When I was a little girl, I would always have nightmares about various different topics, and I consoled myself into believing that the nightmares resided only in my mind when my eyes locked. As I have matured, I have become aware that nightmares truly can exist outside of dreams.

The robust surface I fell asleep on is no longer here, instead my head rests on the dense ground in a foetal position. The powdery brown dust plummets out from the deepest roots of my hair, like a grand scarlet curtain falling at the end of a show, as I boost myself up so my back is straight.

I have woken up fully now, only to discover I am where I became unconscious – still nearby Hudsons' Bluff. Where have they taken Michael? Has he awakened? I just hope he shared the same dream as me, it is vital that he knows the appalling truth of what is to come.

"Rise and shine, Sierra! How was your sleepy-time?" Delilah coos as if I have transformed into an infantile child during my lengthy rest.

She skips merrily over to me, crouching down so her face is incredibly proximate with mine – it is all a part of the devised pursuit to play around with my mind. Delilah then grazes her finger over my skin, where slits have been created from my fall. Blood had once seeped out of them, however, it now seems that it has vanished, like it was never there.

"Oh deary me, look what's happened! Why the hell did you do that to yourself, Sierra?" Delilah scolds in a childish tone, placing her hands on her hips and tutting. I know exactly how to answer her question, and it's going to be one that contains the brutal truth.

"Because I wanted to get the hell away from you" I sneer, shrugging her hand away from my bandaged arm. I stand up from the floor of dust and spin around, observing the dark environment.

How long was I unconscious for? It couldn't have been too time consuming, otherwise the sun would be rising and Delilah would be nothing but a pile of what the sun rays cremated. Suddenly, a thought snaps into my head like a whip colliding with my brain – where is Michael? I revolve around and snatch Delilah by her leather choker embellished in silver studs. Despite the huge amount of courage built up to do this, all Delilah does is giggle at me.

"Where's Michael?" I query in a snarl, my fingers compressing onto the choker.

"You forget, Sierra, I'm immortal now. There's no way you're gonna kill me" she informs me in a low chuckle.

There is only one method to destroy a vampire, in my past I was reminded about it daily, and it was finally demonstrated in June this year. If I wish to be free from the gang of terrifying vampires, I need to stake them – I will have no choice but to kill them.

"You'll be surprised, Delilah. Remember that our father was a vampire slayer, and so are our brothers. You were gone for three years; you've missed out on some lessons" My threats do not taunt her in the slightest as the left corner of her lips arches into a devious smirk.

"Wow, you really think Dad's so great, don't you, Sierra? If he was so great, then why did he take Michael back to town and not you?" Her words include nothing but lies – Marko and Paul taught me that. Her deceits have concluded to affect me. "You were lying there on Mikey's chest, and yet he ignored you. He knows what you are, Sierra, and he's ashamed of it. He didn't even recognize me when he saw us"

Her last sentence is one of forlornness, is there some heart inside of her? Or is it another attempt to confuse my mind?

"You're a really crap liar, you know that?" I thrust her away, leaving her staring at me in stupefaction. "And so are your friends"

"They used to be your friends as well, Sierra!" Delilah yells, she is right. No tears shall spill for the creatures of the night though.

After all, she speaks in past tense. The friendship between David, Dwayne and I was murdered by their harrowing secrets, frauds of emotions and deceptions, and consequently was distorted into hatred.

"At one point, you loved them, just as I do!" I leisurely turn around to face her once more. She has since advanced closer to me, and fury is now etched over her face instead of deranging humour. "You wanted to be with them forever, you loved them so much because they brought you freedom and treated you like a princess. They were the family you never had"

"Too bad I ruined their plans by finding out what they really are, huh?" I sarcastically ask, for once Delilah has to muse over her retaliation. "I found my family, and they weren't it. My family doesn't want to turn me into a bloodsucker and don't hurt me like you do"

"I'm your sister though, Sierra. I am your family, and you want to leave me" I have become immune to her emotional blackmails. They once affected me, but now with the aid of my own strength, they will not touch me.

"Oh, you mean like how you left me?" Delilah's eyes widen, and her vibes of anger pulsate at a fast speed.

Without even having to view the horror, I can feel her fangs resisting unleashing themselves like a snake who has been provoked. I am the one who has provoked the vicious snake, her own sister, the sister she has no affection for anymore. She misplaced her affection for me three years ago, only for it to vanish into a void of nothing. Or did she lose all warmth for me when she mutated into this venomous monster a month ago? I desire intensely to unearth the reason to why Delilah was turned only a mere month ago. Why did David wait so long for her? Why did he wait so long for me? Three whole years he delayed my kidnap and Delilah's alteration in species. The only question I can ask myself is – why?

Maybe I should cease interrogating myself that question, and commence seeking the truth from the lips of the culprit.

"I was fourteen years old, and all of a sudden my sister, my big sister who I loved so much, left me to deal with everything. I had no one, Delilah. Dad didn't say a word because he didn't wanna believe you'd left, Mom didn't give a shit about anything because she got high to cope, Edgar and Alan learnt later on about what happened, and I knew you were still alive but no one else would listen to me. So think before you try that little game, because you did exactly the same to me"

"I had a reason though, Sierra, what's yours? Why did you leave your so-called family?" I glower at her, she knows exactly why I had to desert them. "Oh yeah. Don't worry, Sierra, I know! After Pepsi did an amazing job, you broke up with your little boyfriend, and then you saw Dwayne. Perfect timing as well. So in other words, you left everyone you apparently loved for Dwayne"

Her view of the worthless hypothesis of why I left amuses me, it just shows how much David and Dwayne have disfigured honesty. If she thinks she can destroy my faith, my trust in that I can flee back home, she is wrong, so very wrong. She has the belief fastened onto her thoughts that I won't survive another day without the feigning love of her and her fellow vampires; she will soon see how I can endure without it.

"Ooh! You forgot to mention something, 'big sis'!" I gasp theatrically, imitating her nickname for me. It's time to cease my suffering, my personality of desiring to rescue others from pain has come to an end, for once this is about me. "You forgot about how David got Laddie before any of this happened, and when I fell for his trap like the idiot I was, I was offered a choice – my life or Laddie's. Unlike you, I actually give a damn about Laddie, so it was obvious what I was gonna do. So, no, I didn't leave because of Dwayne. I left because an innocent child was gonna be killed if I didn't"

Delilah howls with laughter, twirling around many times. It can now be confirmed she has been cloned into David's personality, with the exception of a different form. I've secretly acknowledged this ever since we were reunited, I have just been aspiring not to face it. My sister is an almost exact replica of David, only the physical appearance intervenes with the full transformation.

We are related by blood, but emotionally she is a stranger to me. I will never obtain the person my sister was. She was kind, protective and under no circumstances would wish to harm me. David has forced me to bury my sister behind in the past where she will never surface. In a way I can't help myself but to think 'Rest In Peace, Delilah Frog' for the sister I identify is dead for an eternity. An evil being is haunting her, and it has slain the former Delilah Frog. The new Delilah Frog is David, and will be forever.

I glare at her as her laughter dies away, she strolls threateningly over to me, her face imminent with mine. I don't shudder. I refuse to cower in her presence. I know I have truth abiding by my side, whereas she only has the disease of her entire existence being contaminated by deceits.

"Laddie means nothing to us, just some kid that kept Star company. However, keep doing what you're doing, and he'll be back with us in no time" I can't be defeated, that event has occurred too many times now. "I assure you"

"You dare hurt him, and I'll make it sure that you get staked" By the way Delilah smirks once again, she misinterprets my promise as an empty threat. "I assure you!"

"Your own sister, huh?" she sniggers. Every single piece of legitimate information I have presented her with has been disregarded. Delilah and I were once close, even though we are now far apart and she has changed dramatically, we still both possess the ability to read each other like a book.

Delilah once upon a time was one of the sparse people I would accept advice from. As time and evil forces have separated us, in the present, Delilah can scream as many fictitious slanders as she wants, I'm not listening now.

"You're not my sister, Delilah. The sister I had was nothing like you. She was kind to me, and she wouldn't dare hurt me or my family. You were my sister, Delilah, but you changed that one yourself" She continues to persist smirking along with the monstrous snickers.

Delilah can perceive my words but will not filter them in her immoral brain. Somehow, it is a technique she has been educating herself independently ever since the minute of her rebirth into a vampire. When she was human, before her desertion from my family, she was always the strongest out of the two of us. As times have changed, she is determined to remain that way. She will not succeed. Like her, I am persistent to be triumphant.

"You've changed yourself as well, little sis. You say I'm hurting your family, but you're doing the same thing. You left them, and look at what you've done to them. You saw Stars face earlier, Michael got himself in a shitload of trouble just to get you back, and our brothers and Dad, hmm, well you can figure that one out yourself"

I can't break down my barriers; I need to keep the repetition of that word in my head – lies. She is lying, and always will be lying just so she can imprison me in her ambush.

"Dwayne kissed you, and every single thing in your world changed. You loved him, but wait a minute – you loved Michael. So which one did you love? Which one do you love now?" she inquires, it's another mind game.

Suddenly, like a misunderstood accident with a baseball bat, it hits me. Everything was a mind game. I was the loser, and Dwayne was the winner. In order to obliterate Michael and mines relationship, another man had to get involved. My feelings for Michael were powerful, and only one thing could demolish that supremacy – mind games. Could it be that I was fooled?

_"It all started during the battle and they've continued it until the night where everything changed" _That is what Paul had told me.

During the battle, Dwayne kissed me and anonymous emotions had sparked like fireworks out from nowhere. The kiss was false, authentic but a fake. After the battle, I had feelings for Dwayne, but they were planted inside of my head and each emotion was generated by somebody else. Then the night I abandoned everyone, I wanted friendship, yet Dwayne coveted something further. He lured me into a hug when we reunited that fateful night, and by doing that he inserted his chief position into my head once again. But that isn't the night Paul was referring to. The night everything I knew altered was two days ago. He declared his love for me yet again, but how much of it was genuine? I have fully analysed it – Dwayne meant nothing to me. It was all a game, a power play, a deceitful seduction.

"Mindfucks are a great thing, Sierra" another voice adds itself to this vocal showdown.

The smoky voice represents poison in the purest form. David unveils himself from the fog, a sinful grin marked on his lips.

"You never had any feelings for Dwayne, not any feelings of your own anyway. He made you kiss him, he made you love him, and he made you follow him back to us. He enjoyed every moment of it; he finally got the girl he wanted. You never loved him, Dwayne forced you to love him. Now you're a half vampire, almost one of us, and you're not so easy to manipulate anymore. You're getting stronger, just how I want you to be"

My head is raging with thoughts of that scene in the bathroom, it was lies. What I thought was real has been revealed to be a sham. I should have known. My affection for Michael was too strenuous to shatter – only mind games could interfere.

"I bet you wanna kick his ass so badly, Sierra. Not only has he brought you to us, but he's mindfucked you for three months!" Has it really been three months since the battle?

Three extensive months Dwayne has been playing with my mind like an infants' toy. Three months since Michael and I were acquainted together. Everybody says that three is a lucky number, for me it has only moments of such fortune. Three years ago Delilah went missing, three days ago I went missing, and three months ago my life transformed from a moderate trouble to hell.

I have learnt three things as well: one, I have always loved Michael. Two, Delilah is roaming this earth in an immortal cage, and finally, three – I have been too weak, and it is time I adjusted that.

I sprint over to Delilah's motorbike in the colours of red and black, equal to motorbikes I have been accustomed to for a long time.

The first time I saw one of those motorbikes was when Delilah was sixteen, so I would have been twelve years old. I was with Star, Jimmy, and a group of our friends under the Boardwalk, sprawled out on the sand and eating out of popcorn boxes whilst avoiding the shallow waves rushing to the shore. That was when I set my sights on them. Rumbling growls invaded our eardrums and a cloud of sand flew into our meal when the breaks squeaked. I gawked at the man with platinum blonde hair who my sister was clutching onto whilst Jimmy and some of the other boys spat immature insults we found outrageous at that age.

_"Wanna ride with us, Sierra?"_ I was awestruck by how he knew my name; it was like being addressed to by a celebrity. Delilah with her honey-blonde hair gorging down from her roots to her hips declined his offer for me.

_"You ain't the boss of me, Delilah!"_ I retorted, all she did was poked her tongue out at me.

David commented on how I was a feisty little girl, inspired to be like that by Delilah. But I was too mesmerized by him to snap at him for titling me basically as a child. He winked at me before promising that he would buy more popcorn as a replacement for the ruined food. Then they were off, and I saw them again the next night but didn't dare to talk to him.

"Take me to the cave – now" Dwayne is going to wish that he never situated himself between Michael and I, and that he never established his petty games. It was all to serve two shallow desires – David's obsession of inveigling me into his bloodthirsty alliance, and Dwayne's avaricious lust for me.

David and Delilah trade a sinister look before setting their disturbing sights on me.

"Fine, I'll just take myself" I elevate one leg, my flexibility allowing me to lift it higher than most girls, in order to begin placing myself on the motorbike.

It's then my strength comes into play as I am paused from moving any further because of the one calling of my name from a sensual male voice. An immediate thunder seethes throughout me. He has bravely arrived to confront his fate. I twist around, marching over to him at an expeditious pace. He lingers around in the darkness from where he was born, and where I hope he will perish in the near future.

"You – idiotic – cowardly –" my voice increases in volume as the tension rises in me like dirt being ripped from the ground when a tornado hits "jealous – manipulative – bastard!"

My fist clenches rigidly, my previously manicured nails digging into my delicate skin. I feel no pain from it, any pain has been exterminated by my blistering rage. As quickly as I marched over, my fist makes excruciating contact with Dwayne's jaw. Every part of the hammering agony is worth the exchange of pain. The phrase my brothers when they first learnt of cursing was, 'that hurt like hell'. Experiencing the so-called hell for a split second was worth inflicting pain upon my enemy and seeing it skim his face.

Dwayne seizes my arm, snagging me so I am proximate with him. As predicted by both David and Delilah, I battle to get his revolting hands off of me.

"I trusted you!" I shriek, a screech so bloodcurdling that it darts straight through my own ears.

There is an apprehensive moment where Dwayne and I stare into each other's eyes; his molten cocoa eyes are endeavouring to seduce me back into his heart. It will not work. I am exasperated from his attempts. He will never have me. It is time I revealed this to him.

"You will never have me, Dwayne"

His features contort into furious annoyance, he knows exactly what I say is true. But he will not relent, according to his own thoughts and feelings, I will be his. I belong to another's heart though and they belong in mine. I was just deceived into thinking differently.

"Really?" he chuckles, his face becomes adjacent to mine, the palm of his hand cupping my cheek. "You are so wrong, Sierra. You will be mine"

I only have few words to express in a reply to his declaration.

"I don't think so" I spit with sincere honesty and detestation for the man looking intently into my crystal eyes engraving themselves in my words.

"Oh, I think so. You don't understand, Sierra. I love you, and therefore, I will have you" He claims that I do not comprehend his yearning for me, but he does not understand that I love another.

"And you don't understand that I'm someone else's. I love Michael, not you, and I never will love you" I jostle him away from me. I don't ever want him imprinting his tainted hands on me again for the rest of time.

The hour has dawned where I say my farewells to the world I have been residing in for years. An enormous weight is disappearing as I know I have constructed enough valour to retreat from an insidious master who wishes to control me like a puppeteer would to one of those hideous puppets. Finally, I am going home.

I have grown weary of their dishonesty and domineering nature. I want my family back. I hunger to feel safe, to feel as if there are no more burdens loitering around me. Above all, I want to feel the warmth of those I love.

For once, I want nothing more than to hear my brothers calling me names suggesting about what happened between Michael and I months ago. I want to smell the pungent aroma of garlic stained into their clothing when I try to gather them into a sibling embrace. I even wish to feel my father's abrasive beard brushing on my cheek as he kisses me on my forehead.

I am deprived of hearing my friends' laughing contentedly when Jimmy tells one of his inside jokes, all of us knowing the meaning behind it. I miss Star's gentle voice informing me of the latest events, consoling me and just being there as company. River and Jude's crude conversations, Jimmy's pair of lime shoes that I find unflattering, and the chattering of attractive boys from the cheerleading squads mouths, I want to be around them once again.

At a night time when I am isolated in the damp corner leaking with the seas water, all I can think of is the weekly phone calls from my Aunt Madeline. I attempt to ponder over the words she would counsel me with. But nothing can compare to her exact words.

Michael, I want everything about him to come back into my life. His romantic surprises like taking me to the beach and presenting me with gifts are not on my list of priorities. All I want is to see his smile, and to feel his full lips tenderly meeting mine. His sturdy arms around me in an alleviating hug, it only seems like yesterday that I felt them.

I want to wake up seeing Laddie beaming down at me, snuggling his beige teddy-bear and scampering around my room in a celebration that I have woken up for another day dedicated to spending time with him.

I even want to heed my mother's awful singing when she is on my balcony. As a young child, she would capture me in her arms and sing an out of tune song to me. I loathed it but now I desire only to beg her to do it again.

I will have those things back, and I will have them tonight. I refuse to consent David in pillaging them. I reach the motorbike again, preparing myself for my departure.

"Remember what I said, Sierra! We can easily get Laddie back. Hell, we've already done something!" It is then intelligence clicks in my head. Slowly, I turn my head around to view Delilah, David and Dwayne standing in the drifting mist, only two of them with smirks on their lips.

"I knew this would happen, Sierra, so I took extra precautions. Laddie could be like you again. The kid means so much to you, and there would be nothing you can do to save him. Come with us, or I will make sure he's back with us, and there will be nothing you can do to stop us" David growls "He will become one of us, and he will never change back again". Unfortunately, this isn't a threat – it is an indestructible vow.

They have broken everything. They knew my weakness and they have publicized it, using it against me. It is now I make the decision, do I believe them or do I assume everything they say is a lie? They masquerade their deceit so well, it is hard to analyse it. I can only trust my instinct for it is the only thing I have now.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Thank you for the reviews, followings etc... I really appreciate it :D **


	24. The Truth Lies Within Escape

_I do not want to face this alone. The dark abyss waits there, silently and patiently. Yet, there is something poisonous about it, and it taunts me in confused whispers. It glowers at me, threatening that if I dare breach its aggressive darkness, then it will be a fatal movement concluding in death. _

"_You will discover the truth soon, Sierra. But you need to run" Marko's voice echoes from the twinkling stars above me. _

_Those stars are the only things in this manipulative world that bring me alleviation. Other than them, I am isolated from warmth. In the land of dreams, my enemy is the darkness who always seeks revenge on me. _

"_You must run to see the truth, babe" Paul informs me in the same clement tone as Marko's. A partial truth has already been exposed, but to view the whole of it I must flee from those I despise. "Don't surrender, Sierra. You have the strength to keep on going. There is a reason David wants you and Delilah, and he will not stop until he gets what he wants" _

"_Paul, what does he want?" The night devours everything, even the diamonds in the consoling sky. It has annihilated my two heroes with the power of evil. "Paul! Marko!" I need them. What does David crave so intensely for? "Come back!" I scream with extreme effort. _

_No matter how thunderous my voice climaxes, it will not conquer the suffocating darkness. _

"_The darkness will bring the truth" _

_The truth. I will receive the truth. For if I have the truth, I can liberate myself from deceits. _

* * *

My eyes snap open with pure terror. The air surrounding me drains out of my lungs. My fingers skim over my body draped in cream silk blankets; my senses declare I am no longer among the fictitious demons of the night, but I have returned to the existent ones. My forehead is drenched in a wintry sweat, causing it to be evidence that I was in the imaginary hell where the only things real are Marko, Paul and their sincere warnings.

My thoughts are jumbled, the stupefaction of accessing this world overwhelming me. The air reconciles with my lungs, inhaling a sharp breath of cold oxygen is possibly the most grateful feeling I can experience in this situation. It means I am alive, breathing, and able to battle my captors for freedom.

I gradually aid myself up, slipping my eyes down to assure myself that I have the ability to reverse the dire fate I have been submitted to. I open them again, realising something is wrong. My sights manoeuvre over to the dusty floor, on top of the black cape I once attired, is a beige teddy bear.

There is no denying who the cherished toy belongs to – Laddie. They cautioned me that they would steal Laddie again, but I was too naive to listen, believing it was just a petty intimidation to prevent me from escaping their clutches.

I have woken up fully and in one swift movement I dart over to the serrated entrance where many hallways formed by ruins and boulders lead the vampires' coffin. Nothing but panic and fury surges over me. David and I made a deal, and he has pulverized it. Once again, he has deceived me, yet I do not feel astonished at how he could do this to a defenceless child. However, because of my maternal relationship with Laddie, I cannot control the livid fire massacring all calm emotions inside of me.

"Are we jumping to conclusions again, Sierra?" David questions in a lecturing tone as if I am the child he has kidnapped. I twist around, striding over to David with my footsteps certifying my rage.

David remains where he is, confident I will not harm him, his mind assuming I am too frightened to even touch him.

Suddenly, Dwayne appears in front of me, obstructing any further steps. His whole tanned face suggests he desires to keep me away from David's monstrous presence. His cocoa eyes absorbed with commands dominates all of those feelings, the loyalty to his master shimmering in them.

"Dwayne, move" I endeavour to move around him, but he persists in barricading the pathway to a possible severe injury. "Get out of my way"

"No" Is this all he can simply utter? It bewilders me how he can make his affection known in different circumstances, but the one time I choose to be the dictator, he shoves all affection aside. "I'm not letting him hurt you"

My response to his justification is a scoff. It seems like his love for me has been restored, how much of it is love for me though? From the revelation earlier on, the percentage of love contained in Dwayne's deceased heart is low compared to the devotion for the supreme member of his pack.

"The mindfucks are getting really boring now, Dwayne. You've had your three months of fun. If I were you, I'd stop now before you totally kill the mood" Before Dwayne can even open his mouth to retort, a whooping Delilah makes a grand entrance into the cave.

"I got the clothes! They're hot like you asked for, she'll surely make her fir –" Delilah abruptly pauses, a broad smirk heightening on her lips. "Ooh, shit's going down!" she then hollers with David cackling at her enthusiasm.

Delilah never had the chance to complete her sentence but I perceived enough to gather critical information. David is forcing me to kill tonight. They cannot force me to slaughter a human for their own benefit, my vampire cravings for crimson blood are not strenuous enough yet. I have been a missing citizen for four days, and one of those days has been familiarizing myself with a new species domineering my whole body.

In Delilah's leather covered hand are a bundle of black clothes that camouflage with her gloves. I acknowledge what their scheme is. They want another attempt to create bait that will seduce any man to their demise.

"Come on, little sis! You could do with an outfit change. We're keeping that cloak though, it's sexy" Delilah beckons me over with haste, what is it that is so important? What is the rush?

But most intrigues me is, will I make my first kill tonight?

* * *

The only things guiding me through the dark are the roaring fires arising from metal cylinders, their orange flames dancing freely to the sound of the topless man's harmonic voice and the winds chorography, and Delilah's leather coated arm. Usually at the beach concerts, my heart races at the speed of light, adrenaline circuits a million times over my body, and there is nothing but the band and the exhilarating atmosphere pulsating. With everything that has occurred during these past days, it is just another souvenir from my history afflicting me with sorrowful memories of what I once had the pleasure of calling mine.

Though it is dark, the burning colourful gases and the white sparks soaring into the sky from the bonfire, flashes men staring at me with desire. This is approximately what David intended. With my unzipped jet black leather jacket swamping on me, draping off of one sun-kissed shoulder, bleached denim cropped jeans clinging to every curve like a second skin with carelessly artistic ripped knees, a cropped black corset like top with thin exquisite lace brimming the shape of my flaunted chest, finishing at the middle of my suffering ribcage that makes it palpable I haven't had a proper diet for a few days, and white stiletto heels, it was expected for a spotlight to burden me tonight.

Around my neck are two necklaces adorned with dangling crosses varying in size. Finally, there is the obvious accessory – the earring in one ear. Delilah ordered me to have my recently styled ringlets on one side to exhibit the curse hanging from my ear.

Clutched to my chest is Laddie's treasured teddy-bear, as my mission tonight is to seek him out of the crowds and present him with it. The teddy bear was just a caution, a reminder of how I must reside in the boundaries David has crafted for his own advantages.

"Sierra, come on!" David boisterously summons, he slows his pace until he has stopped completely with no movement.

I walk until I become equivalent with his daunting presence and stare into his startling blue eyes gorged with sin, thoroughly examining them to identify what I once thought was compassion. I wrongly branded the cruelty gleaming as kindness; he had influenced me to trust those eyes. I had the certainty three months ago, but will under no circumstances have faith in him again.

Sometimes I think to myself, how did my relationship with the guys get here, when I thought I knew them so well? I was wrong. I believed I distinguished everything about them, until I discovered there was more beyond their counterfeit personalities than I could ever imagine.

"Come on" David then says in a more gentle tone, his signature smirk indicating grave iniquity drawn on his lips.

I feel someone grasp my hand, towing me along with them like a magnet attracting another magnet. Dwayne's coffee strands of voluminous hair cascade down his back, thrashing the air as he incessantly rotates his head to verify I am behind him. His hand is tense around mine, but mine remains weak, not committing myself to the offense of accepting anything from him.

I try to focus on anything but the three people I scorn encroaching my inner space. I concentrate on the stage, watching the endowed performer whose chest glimmers with sweat, the moon, stage lights, and the upright explosions of flames helping to make it glow.

It isn't the first time he has performed on the beach stage. I remember the night before I met Michael, I was acquainted with him for the first time after Jimmy, River and Jude collaborated with him. I can recall that his name was Tim, my memory is a little hazy when it comes to remembering his surname though. He was a nice guy, and was willing to allow me on stage with him once Jimmy mention about me taking dancing lessons. I was quick to consider his offer as going on stage is a pastime I adore.

We ultimately arrive to our destination following our excursion through the thriving mass of people inspecting the gloomy girl they might recognize being escorted by three superior figures they would not provoke. My eyes survey the crowds from the highest peak of the audience, the marshal amp I thought I would never step onto again. Throughout all of the many people, I cannot capture a sight of anyone who I require to see.

Suddenly, I feel myself being elevated onto someone's lap. I brusquely shrug the irrefutable arms off of me, and spin my head around. The arms do not belong to whom I thought they did, David is the one who has ensnared me this time much to my astonishment.

"You found what you're looking for yet, Sierra?" I feel exceedingly unpleasant in his presence, more than I am accustomed to.

I turn my head so I can investigate the vivacious horde of people in danger, which one of them is going to be my first kill? Whose blood will be special enough for David to select?

"Nope. Not yet anyway" I answer, my voice sounding like mutters due to my attentiveness being distracted by one aim – locating Laddie.

"Why don't you go find him?" I can't believe what I have just heard. I furrow my brow, showing my bewilderment as I turn to face him again. Did David just utter those words or was it all concocted in my head? "I'm sure Laddie wants his teddy back. He'll be at the comic store, won't he?"

"What's the catch?" David isn't doing this out of his own humanity. I have enough knowledge to realise that.

"No catch at all. You might as well see the others while you're at it" he whispers in my ear seductively, triggering me to feel beyond unnerved. His frosty lips brush the ear whilst his gloved hands tuck chocolate corkscrew curls behind my ear. "I'm sure you're dying to see them, especially Michael"

David consistently thinks he can filch me of my pride and dignity, not this time. I forbid him from doing so.

I repeat the shrugging I had carried out earlier, except with a more violent gush of infuriation dashing throughout me. His menacing cackles do not faze me in the slightest. I refuse to fall to the state of being a victim for my phobia.

"Get the fuck off me" I can feel multicoloured eyes of concerned members of the nightlife piercing into me, overlooking the scenario out of interest, the spark of intrigue flickering inside of them. I will defend myself whether they choose to observe the bickering between David and me or not. "No, I'm not going to see them. I'm staying here"

"I thought you loved them though, Sierra" His words generate a seething eruption inside of me, David's and my own blood combined boiling to a temperature so scorching, it shows in my face.

"You know I do" I snap, my face becoming imminent with his, our noses barely even an inch apart. "But I know you, David. You're doing this to hurt them, and to hurt me. I'm not that naive little kid you picked up at The Boardwalk three years ago" David chuckles deeply, his eyes looking intently into mine.

"You always were feisty, Sierra" My heart beats rapidly; I have never felt so frightened before in my life. His finger grazes over my jaw smeared in foundation, each progression it makes across my sensitive skin being the reason I quake. His mouth repositions itself so his glacial breath with the raw aroma of nicotine feels like it is solidifying my ear. "That's what Dwayne loves so much about you"

I am too petrified by fear to react. The palm of his hand cups my chin, his lips nearing mine. They get nearer and nearer, I shift myself further away with each motion. I fail though as his bitter lips make unfortunate contact with mine.

"Stop!" a furious voice barks with nothing but rage etching it. My head is released from David's imprisonment. My tear ingested eyes cannot inhibit the distressed water constructed by horror any longer as they stream down my cheeks. Dwayne was the one who intervened. For once, his allegiance has been splintered. "Just stop..." Yet it still lingers.

I can't stay here much longer without feeling suppressed my David's haunting being. I cannot deny my immortal fear for him; it strangles me as a reminder. The tears are like a waterfall, never-ending and perilous as they illustrate the severe apprehension I hunger to veil.

David snags my head so it faces him, omens parading his eyes.

"That's right – cry, little sister" he snarls with a smirk, his fingers grasping my chin so rigidly, I can feel his nails nearly burrowing into my skin. My stilettos have since fallen onto the floor, though I can run in heels, they are not something to stop me from running. I need to get away, even if it's for a few minutes, I have to flee from them.

Marko and Paul were right once again, I am perceiving the truth. The truth is David's honest colours; the only bit of honesty in him is evil. David is the darkness, and he is delivering the truth, the sincerity of his immorality.

I leap from the marshal amp, feeling liberated whilst terrified. I peer behind my shoulder as I run; they do not chase me just as I wished. David is constraining Dwayne from pursuing after me, with Dwayne loyally obeying. Delilah just watches on, the majority of her feelings abiding with David, and only a speck feeling pity for me. As I have stated before, she is not my sister. She is only an altered ghost of Delilah Frog.

"Hey, watch it!" one of the boys who attire leather jackets and flirts with any girl who enters their field of vision shouts.

I do not care if I am thrusting past all of the people who represent an impediment to my escape from David. It is an urgent requirement that I destroy the chains he has entangled me in.

"_Set me free, why don't you, babe? Get out my life, why don't you, babe? 'Cause you don't really need me. You just keep me hanging on" _I can relate to this song I adore as the lyrics fully describe my situation. I wish David would set me free, but I have accepted he will not resign to my wishes. Instead, I have no choice but to fight until I am free.

Everything around me blurs into oblivion, only the sound of my naked feet colliding with the concrete floor is to be heard, harmonising with the elated beat of my heart. I can only realise that I am in a desolate area, one of the loneliest streets built in Santa Carla, and only seconds away from The Boardwalk. But if anyone were to not know this, they would believe that it was far away from a mega tourist attraction.

I plummet to the ground. A shooting pain slashes through my stomach, like a serrated knife has torn through it. I writhe on the floor, clutching my stomach with all my might whilst groaning in torment. I have never before encountered such a torturing pain. The pain is so intense, so excruciating, a sheen of sweat develops on my forehead.

After the few seconds of anguish, it vanishes like it never existed. However, there is the throbbing evidence it lived. I aid myself up from the floor, each muscle feeling weak as if it is dying.

"Sierra!" Michael. Finally, I can see him again. I just hope he is well and not injured from the accident last night.

His advice has sunken into my brain, the intelligence and promising fact that we can defeat the vampires becoming a possibility.

Sudden realisation storms through my head – Michael is the truth I had to run to. His advice was the truth – we can beat them.

I snap around, and disregarding all of the agony in me for Michael, I run to him. Before we can even express any words, Michael collects me in an affectionate embrace, our arms clinging around each other.

"Sierra, baby, thank God, you're alright" he breathes, grasping tenderly onto my head, not for a second wanting to let it go. I have never in my life been so grateful to see someone, and I feel even more thankful that it's Michael that my eyes can view. His fingers gingerly strips off the blood tinted rag tied around my arm, revealing a healing wound.

"Hey, it's almost gone!" I exclaim, absolutely dumfounded by the speedy recovery of skin. Michael rubs the arm with the palm of his hand tenderly before removing his leather jacket, displaying his sturdy arm muscles, and places it over me. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, princess. I just want you to be warm" He wraps his arm around my waist, binding me to his reliable salvation.

I have to notify Michael of the truth I was not conscious of the night I broke up with him. Otherwise, he will believe for the rest of his life that I abandoned him for Dwayne.

"Michael, I need – "

"Sierra!" a female voice screams, the pitter patter of heavy footsteps dashing towards me. I twist around, only to see Star running in her usual natural attire of a long wavy skirt and a lace vest with her fingers entwined with Jimmy's whose face is one of confusion.

Star immediately releases Jimmy's hand from hers, and our arms hurl around each other in sync, composing a relieved reconciliation. Ever since last night, I have been yearning for this embrace only the closest of friends can share. I have never known a better person than Star, and I am thankful that I have her as a best friend. She is more of a sister than Delilah can ever be, it's only now I can appreciate how I have such a gift like Star in my life.

Jimmy joins Star and I, holding me close to his chest where I can hear the pounding of his comforted heart.

"Where the hell have you been, Sierra-Bear?" Jimmy sighs, his voice wavering slightly from the rush of appeased emotions overthrowing his masculinity. Though he questions where my location has been, he does not free me from his arms to examine my facial reaction.

"We'll explain later, Jimmy. Right now, we need to get back to the comic store" Star informs Jimmy who allows Michael to replace him. "Come on, Sierra, we need to go" Star takes off her stone grey scarf and places it with the many layers of clothing.

Michael situates his arm around my waist again, leading me inside the Boardwalk where life still flourishes. Disbelieving looks are delivered my way from school acquaintances and friends who identify the person they know behind the fragile image.

We begin the walk down the hallway of many stores, some opened for entertainment purposes, others with only a mere idea behind the development of it. There are four stores on the left-hand side before we arrive at my family's business, all of which I have unforgettable memories of.

The first of them is a surf store entitled 'The Beach Shack' where Michael and I visited the day he attempted to teach me how to surf in summer vacation. He had bought plain aqua blue one for himself and a matching one for me. At the beach Michael surfed like a professional, welcoming claps from impressed people relaxing on the beige sand as well as local surfers who joined us. Michael and I just laughed hysterically in each others arms after I failed to learn his talent. We pass it with my eyes still peering to the left in order to see the second store. There are only three more to go by until I am reunited with my family.

The second is a cafe called 'Fish 'N' Fries'. The first time I accessed it was when I was five years old and Delilah took me in there before attending school. We hadn't eaten breakfast that day due to my parents being intoxicated with drugs and fanatical about reading every comic book in the store to the two of us. Delilah and I managed to escape quietly after they read us one of the Superman comics. I found the story quite breath-taking if not comedic at the same time, but knew school was a priority if I wanted to see my friends. Our stomachs were growling with ferocity at the fact we hadn't fed them, and we couldn't endure it for much longer. Delilah had accomplished in sneakily taking a few dollars from the till before we fled, and so we went to the greasy fast food store. She had bought us a small portion of fries with a battered fish on top that we split in half, and we walked leisurely down the halls of the isolated Boardwalk munching away on the mornings unhealthy meal. Nobody questioned us when we got to school about our whereabouts as they all acknowledged my parents' insane reputation.

I do not have time to even glance at the third store as Michael accelerates his pace. But I know Delilah and her rebellious friends from high school frequently visited there, often exiting relaxed or excitable, much the opposite to what they entered as. I quickly grasped that they had been supplied with drugs.

One more store to pass. A range of emotions, mostly nervous and restless, orbit throughout my body. It has been four days since I last saw them, how will they react to my disheartening revolution?

The fourth store is a convenience store my sober mother took me to during her pregnancy with Edgar many times in order to retrieve her craving of raw lemons, every time the sourness of them would bring tears to her eyes when her teeth sunk into them. It was the most temperate period my mother has experienced, except it was repeated four times. Somehow, Delilah and a one year old Alan were not permitted to join us, it was always me. It was a time before my mother's hair grew grey streaks, and was the purest colour of black dyed naturally by ivy found hundreds of miles away from Santa Carla. Nearby the forest she picked it from, was where my family would go on picnics in a field where you never failed to discover harmless animals and butterflies became your friends for the day. My mind travels back to the store, and one specific occasion is chosen. All it contains is my mother and I, a handful of bright yellow lemons and two sentences. It was when my mom told me: _'You are my special baby, Sierra. You are my special baby girl, and fate has your life planned, and it is packed with surprises' _I was only four at the time, so I did not understand her reading. Fourteen years afterwards, I comprehend it fully. Finally, she said something else that has resided in my important memories ever since – _'If you ever go, a change will happen inside of me. You are my baby girl, and because of that, the change will show outside' _

Shortly after this, we reach the store that holds the most memories – the comic store. The store surrounded by various comic books has been in my family's possession since the early 1950's, the first owners being my paternal great-grandparents, Hugh and Ellen Frog. Two years after it was established, my great-grandparents died, and it was handed down to my grandparents named Gus and Connie Frog who already had a daughter who is unknown to me before my aunt and father were born. When my father was seventeen, my grandfather was murdered by a vampire, and he inherited the comic store on his twenty-first birthday. When the previous generation dies, it shall be succeeded to Edgar or Alan. I sometimes wonder why they bought this store. I muse over whether it was for money, or created by a minor thought, or something far beyond those reasons.

I stop by the corner, taking off Michael's leather jacket and Star's shawl as the temperature increases inside of me, making it apparent on the outside. Michael follows as soon as I do, positioning himself in front of me.

"What's the matter, baby? Something isn't right" he tucks a lock behind my ear, staring at the earring of commitment for a moment before gazing into my eyes intently. "Sierra?"

"I need to tell you something" I have been preparing myself ever since I found out about Dwayne's betrayal how to tell Michael of it. I cannot predict most of the words I am about to utter, but I have they have a foundation.

"Mr Frog! Sierra's back!" Stars' broadcasting of my return is followed by immediate gasps and mutters of personal interest.

A squeak of feet sliding on the polished floor distracts both Michael and I as our heads snap to the right. My own sight cannot even describe the change, but it confirms one instinct – the world external from David's smothering control has been modified. My mother was right, everything has changed.

* * *

**Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter and hope you all enjoy this one :) **


	25. A Family Affair

There she stands, blossoming with astounded alleviation, tears congregating in her worn eyes. My mother's face is porcelain, surrounded by the nest of her black curls, a colour she discovered in her youth, the ivy destroying all traces of the once discoloured brown. Instead of wearing an outfit hastily gathered together and put on, she attires a beautiful white cotton dress with long sleeves, flowing down to her ankles, overlapping it is a brown suede waistcoat with fringes dangling from it, and a pair of sandals. A change has occurred in her on the outside, but what about the inside? Is her old self maintaining negligence in the place nobody can witness what truthfully happens?

"Mom?" I do not know why I said that, as I acknowledge it is my mother located in front of me. I was startled, in the present I still am, by her fresh appearance.

She looks divine compared to the mother she has been throughout most of my life. I only recognize her because of the memory I reserve in my mind, for the woman positioned only a few feet from me is the mother I had when I was four years old.

A smile surfaces her lips; I know truly she has been masquerading her smile evoking pure emotions from the heart for what seems like a thousand years. It lights up this shadowy hallway, spreading on her face like it could continue for miles.

"Remember what I told you all those years ago when you were little?" she asks, having the knowledge that I do retain the memory.

Mom strides over, not in the puzzled fashion she usually walks in, but in a manner that shows the change she informed me of fourteen years prior. Almost instantly, the mother who is a comforting stranger holds me close to her. Her fingers skim through the many dark curls constructed for David, until they reach the back of my neck where they study the overlapping necklaces.

"I was right. My baby girl went missing, and as a mother, I changed" she whispers tranquilly in my ear. She pulls away, gripping my shoulders loosely with her fingers, and gazes at me.

Just one glance into those eyes and all of my doubts over her parenting skills fades away, but leaves behind an element of awareness called a memory of her former self. I can sense a million things from her trance – the commotion of blending emotions, the restful comfort sprinting through her, and finally, the sense of harrowing dread. She has visualized for four days in her mind of what my appearance may be and has constantly pondered over the questions: 'Will there be scars from their jagged claws, or will those scars be from the traumatic experience?' 'Can she return to me, or is she chained by this vampires' side?' , and last but not least, the final inquiry – 'Is Delilah taking care of her?'

Out of Delilah and me, I was the one who had the strongest connection with our parents, even if it was a weak one. A unique bond is what my mother and I share, throughout the ongoing silent debate of love and detestation, it prevailed. It never was extinguished by the lack of communication or my adoration for her being veiled by a thick cloud of smoke. The smoke has finally vanished as I have rediscovered the love I have for her.

"C'mon, let's go inside. I baked some cookies!" I say nothing and pin a smile on my face. "Okay, maybe I bought them. Just maybe!" The smile slowly creeps up into a grin, the first proper smile I have extended on my lips for what seems like forever. Mom thrusts her hands up in defence, about to confess all. "Yeah, I bought them. I got outta bed for it though, so that's a good effort in my books!"

A hand glides across my waist that is scarcely tolerating the loss of nutrition, and clasps onto it protectively. My mother's inspecting eyes drift leisurely up to Michael, wisdom and intelligence for the future brimming them. A smile streches on her naturally rosy lips, indicating the destined fortune she has foreseen is a blissful one. She soothingly beckons Michael to step forward with Michael doing as she enquires. Mom raises her arms like the air is nonexistent, and rests the palms of her hands on Michael's cheeks, staring attentively into his eyes for a second before blinking a singular time.

"Love, it's a strange little thing, isn't it?" she begins her mystical prophesy, giggling contentedly with her smile gleaming more than the sun's rays emitting down on us during the forbidden daytime. "It can be torn apart, but then the pieces will be put back together again. The pieces will stay together forever"

Mom ascends onto her tiptoes in order to allocate a tender kiss on his forehead. Michael replies with a warming crooked smile, the signature one only awarded to those he considers as close.

After everything that has transpired in these last four days, this is a little fragment from heaven I have been presented with as compensation for the horrendous events I have been subjected to. However, I know this paradise will be ruptured. David will not cease persisting for me to have his blood completely murder mine.

"We should hurry; there's a lot to talk about! Like I said – cookies!" I carry out what she has said, my footsteps rushed as I can sense another attack of agony ripping throughout my stomach.

I cross the threshold of the store I have been familiarized with from the minute I was introduced into this cruel world. So much has changed, yet nothing has been altered.

"I don't need to throw garlic at her, do I?" I hear a muttering voice investigates with nothing but seriousness etching it. Though their backs are turned, only the forest green and taupe brown camouflage patterned material facing me, I can tell immediately who they are.

"I don't think you have to waste the garlic just yet, Edgar" I giggle, the two corners of my scarlet stained lips arising into a thrilled smile. I have waited so long just to hear them bellow offences at me. If I am lucky, they will fulfil this bizarre wish.

Edgar, Alan and my father rotate simultaneously at a gradual speed. I am trying to decide whether they are doing this out of trepidation of their close relative's state or because their movements have been stunned by the surprise of hearing the voice they thought they would not hear again for a certain time.

The first to complete the rotation is my dad, and his reaction is exactly what I foresaw. His eyes peer through the transparent prescription glasses that rest on the bridge of nose, the medium and straightness of the bridge with an ovular ending is the shape I am fortunate to have inherited. Dad removes the glasses, erasing the invisible dirt from the circular glass surface with his thumb, thus creating a spread of bleariness, and plants them in his jean pocket.

The three males of the surviving Frog dynasty survey my newborn facade with negative awe, their eyes acquiring every bit of information from the grotesque attire. The information consists of what David has transformed me into, how my personality may differ from my previous traits, and the nearly victims who have fallen prey to the art of seduction.

I have slaughtered nobody, but the wicked scheme of enticement is functioning well for David. Due to this beguiling method designed by David, my personality has altered. In a sense, it has changed for a good purpose as my lenient and what would commonly be described as a 'martyr' side has almost become extinct. If David wins, those sides normal human beings preserve will unquestionably breathe their last breath. They will die alongside my humanity.

"Hey, Dad" I know my choice of dialogue may not seem as compassionate as recommended, but all the rehearsals of premeditated words, a thousand lines comprising of apologies, excessive explanations and unneeded repercussions if my temper raised, were erased from my mind.

His reaction is identical to my mother's: a beaming smile. Edgar and Alan naturally duplicate the smile, the three of them rushing over to share the embrace I have hungered for with me. Though it survives only for a few seconds, it feels like it continued forever. A hug from a father who I believed didn't give a care in the world for me is the finest gift I can be presented with at this moment in time. The addition of two caring siblings makes me the luckiest woman on the Earth's surface.

"Welcome home, sweetheart" Dad whispers in my ear as he unwraps his arms from the cuddle. He briefly glances at my mother; from the grief flickering in his eyes, I can tell my mother had gestured something that involves me. "How long?"

The saddened inquiry may not have been expounding, but it informed me of enough.

"Two days" Beforehand, my crystal blue eyes would have been occupied with mourning tears for admitting such a deploring truth. To some extent, I have habituated myself to what I am metamorphosing into. The other part of me is prepared to combat my fears, and it is the side that reigns supreme.

Dad nods dejectedly, any father would if the fact that their daughter was turning into vampire was unmasked, only for it to plummet onto their ears. I should have paid attention to Edgar and Alan when they relentlessly forced their intellect onto me. Continuously, every morning the first sight I saw was reeking garlic hanging over me, they knew this was to happen. I admire them strongly for their valour. Three months ago, I would have never deemed my brothers as being accurate. I was sightless when it came to the truth. David was portraying the screen masking me from reality, and it has resulted in this. So, I have a high regard for my brothers as they acquainted me with the atrocious truth and have a part in saving everyone's lives.

"Michael, your mom was looking for you. She came in here earlier asking if I saw you, to tell you that she wants you to go home. You know, school in the morning and everything?" Michael's vision instantly flicks onto me, seeking assurance. I nod, providing him consent to leave.

Though I do not want Michael to depart, I mustn't intervene with Lucy's rules or his normal routine. Michael bites his rose-coloured bottom lip, disliking the idea of leaving. He steps forward, getting ready to address my father.

"Take care of her" he mutters with concern. Dad pats Michael on the shoulder, guaranteeing my safety is in moral hands, and smile reassuringly. Michael twists around to face me, his eyes sorrowful and temperamental. As soon as they land on me, the annoyance simmers down. He places an innocent kiss on my forehead, stroking my hair with his thumb as he does this.

At the inexperienced age of eleven, I remember an incident where I caught a man kiss Delilah on the forehead. It was late into the night, almost entering the early morning, and I was spying on the two of them from outside my bedroom window. When she came into the bedroom we shared, I questioned her on what a kiss on the forehead meant. Delilah perched on the edge of the bed, tucked the pale blue cotton duvet over my shoulders, and commenced in educating me.

"_It's not one of those kisses where there's no meaning. With a kiss on the forehead, there's a brave meaning behind it. It shows that the person cares deeply for you, a good sign of love. It's respectable" _she said, the two corners of her lips angling upwards as she told me.

"_Does that guy love you then?" _In a flash, Delilah slumped down on her own bed and remained silent until the morning. She never answered my query. I brought it up a million times, but something always distracted her from responding.

I stand up with Michael's aid as I am still healing from the painful episode from earlier on. He steadies me by positioning his hands firmly on my waist. Our eyes meet, binding them together for what we both know will be for a small period of time. They shall reunite once I have conquered my captors.

"I'll be back soon, baby" he wraps his arms around me, his touch light and affectionate. I nestle my head against his neck, hearing his quickened pulse thumping. "I love you" he then whispers, kissing my cheek just the once before straightening himself and removing his hands. His view situates itself on my father once again, the stare being a crucial one. "Take care of her"

Michael says his goodbyes, and then exits out of the comic store, constantly peering back to ensure I am alive and breathing until he is one with the crowds of pulsating life.

An awkward silence loiters, members of my family trade vexed looks. Though they may deal certain looks of unease, I can't help but feel alleviated for there has been a tranquil surrender to the change in my life. The serenity overwhelms me completely, and the only thing I can do is to stare into my mother's orbs of mystery. So many secrets are concealed in those eyes.

I was sixteen the first time I ever looked deeply into my mother's eyes. I had a photo held between my thumb and forefinger, and the solitary thing I noticed was my mother's staggering eyes. They were directly looking at the camera. The film grain and filtered smudges were disregarded as I analysed the eyes. They were incredibly similar to mine. But there was one thing that differed – hers were glazed with the ballads of the future.

In the present, instead of looking down at the same eyes surrounded by youth, my head is lifted neutrally so they are equal with mine.

"Heaven's got a plan for you, Sierra" she repeats the quote from years back where she sat watching me sleep in a quiet voice. It's then I am disturbed from this rebuilt connection as I can hear sniffing.

I knit my groomed brows together, perplexed by this. It also brings back memories: Dwayne sniffing around in the cave. What was he even doing? I peer down to see Edgar who raises his head to mimic my facial expression.

"I can't believe you ran off with some shirtless dude who drinks blood like its Kool-Aid" he mutters his thoughts aloud, not regretting it for a second. Even when my father disciplines him, there is no apology. I find it extremely strange how I have missed this. My wish has come true, my brother offended me.

"Edgar, let's not get too –" Alan starts. Edgar though, interrupts. Anger has dissolved his relief like acid being poured over chalk.

"Let's not get too what, Alan? Too detailed in her dating history? Well I wanna!" Everybody rolls their eyes, knowing better than to disrupt Edgar when ranting. "First, that Carlos dude who looked like some athletic Martian and who drank raw eggs in the morning because he thought it was a good source of carbohydrates. Seriously, carbohydrates? That shit is packed with protein! He was a dumbass! Then came along some person whose name might as well been Latin!"

I open my mouth to speak, even though I know my voice will not be heard.

"Thirdly! Was some asshole on the basketball team who jammed Arnie's head in a locker because he was doing it for his science project! No wonder those three lasted about two weeks, you do have some common sense, Sierra. Next came Mr. Jim Morrison"

"He doesn't look like Jim Morrison that much, bro" Alan murmurs, for he acknowledges just as much as I do that Edgar cannot be defeated when acting enraged.

"Bullshit! He's Jim Morrison brought back to freaking life! Like damn Frankenstein, except not as ugly! Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted – take note on that one Alan – then came Michael a.k.a. Jim Morrison. So not only did he pick you out of the crowd when you were at the bar drinking vodka shots – you hear that Dad? Vodka shots! – but he followed you back Vampire Hotel and thought blood was wine! What happens next, you may be wondering? Well, I'll tell you, Sierra! He turned from Jim Morrison to El Vampiro; you were stupid enough to do the same. And here's the big shocker, oh yes, this one will kill ya! You lost your damn virginity to him!"

"Edgar, enough!" Dad snaps, without delay rebounding onto his bare feet, springing off of the counter.

"No. Let Ed continue" I strive to keep my laughter in confinement. Listening further is dangerous if I wish to chain my laughter away from liberation, but I must allow Edgar to continue.

"Yeah! I haven't finished yet, Pops! And it's Edgar for your information, fangbanger. Anyway, we had a battle, we thought we'd won. Until! The blonde bloodsucker is still alive! Not too bad, I thought to myself. But no! Five days ago, Sierra Frog ran off with the naked jackass we all thought was dead! And why was he still alive? Because Miss. Fangbanger, here, set him free! Now, five days later, she turns up with Jim Morrison in some tight outfit and we find out she's a bloodsucker herself! Don't even think of inviting me to your wedding, Sierra, because I'll be there with holy water and your husband's main course – stakes!"

I cannot constrain my amusement as tremendous shrills of giggles release themselves from my mouth. Edgar's ignorance does make me laugh. Half of the reason for my bewildering hilarities is because I do in fact find him blurting out ridiculing names entertaining as I have wanted to hear them for a long time. The other is because of his adolescent ignorance. My father, who is a veteran when it comes to vampires, is conscious of the malevolent powers David has. My mother, on the other hand, knew those powers were inflicted upon me the moment I was declared missing – I control the ability to sense her worry.

"You'll be the best man if you get the stakes!" I cackle, descending to the red thin carpet below me. I wipe away the tears dribbling down my cheeks.

The many tears slipping out from my eyes harbour the emotions I have spiralling inside of me – hurt from the deceits plaguing the tip of the vampires tongues combined with a blistering hatred for them, happiness originating from setting my eyes on my family for the first time, and a furious rage that I must reveal Delilah's cryptic condition.

"I wasn't talking about beef ones, Sierra! I'm talking wooden ones, you know, ones that kill?" Edgar mocks my aptitude, a talent he has acquired since the day he could babble impertinences.

"So am I, Edgar! And trust me, if I had one on me right this second, that piece of shit vampire would be dead" Finally. I have broadcasted my despair. The agitation of fury gashing inside of me has composed. I have one more account involving Dwayne to enlighten them with. "The best thing is, he deserves it! After all, he mindfucked me into kissing him. Oh yeah, don't let me forget, and he mindfucked me into believing I loved him for three months. So, go ahead, Edgar! Or better yet, let me do it for you"

The room has evolved from one sprouting with conflicts to one where everyone occupying it is prohibited to speak. They are all speechless. Nobody blinks, nobody moves. They are like statues manifesting frightful disbelief. Their daughter, their sister has confessed a secret the normal public would consider implausible. Every word I stated was one of chaste integrity. I cannot deceive my family as my enemies have deceived me. I find it an impossible task.

My mother sits on the counter, ineptly twiddling with her thumbs; the truth was obvious to her. My father's appearance is the opposite – he is incensed with ferocity.

"We can't stop the plan though. But I swear, once the plan is done, that fang boy is dead" Dad spits. What plot am I to be hauled into this time? If it will rescue not only mine, but everyone else's lives, then I pledge myself to participate. Dad clutches onto his cigarette, his hands frenziedly searching for a lighter. I call his name, his eyes darting up as I throw a lighter at him. He catches it, his eyes gawking at me. "Thanks. I wasn't expecting a lighter to come from you though"

"Well, I doubt Edgar and Alan have one. Unless, you boys wanna tell us something?" Edgar and Alan smirk, poking their tongues out at me. I wink jokingly as a reply.

"How's your sister?" I shoot him a shocked look, speculating why he would ask this question. Could he know of Delilah's creature of the night status? From my abrupt silence, he has been cultured for the first time of who Delilah Frog, the woman who was previously his eldest daughter, really is. "Tell me she's a half like you. Don't you dare say she's one of them"

I cannot lie to them. Since they were unaware of Delilah, it is my solemn duty to inform them of her transaction from a human vibrant with life to an undead victim.

"It'll be unfair for me to lie to you, Dad. I don't want you believing she's okay, because she's not. She's not human nor is she like me. She's joined them, Dad. She's a – "

"I don't want you saying what she is! You don't have to tell me!" Dad bellows, trespassing my personal space. As I sit here on the solid ground with my hands encompassed around my knees, my thighs pressed against my chest, my father struggles with the horde of tears thirsting to break free.

"You know what she is" I say in a hushed voice, alarmed by my father's reaction. It was expected, yet I cannot believe his rejection to the truth buried in his mind. Three years, three whole years, I thought he didn't fret over Delilah. I was wrong, so very wrong.

"Judd" my mother towers over my father's bent posture. His once seething face collects itself. All that was required was a wife's touch – soft, gentle and assuring, it can lessen any mans temper. She nods at me, indicating now is the time to confirm my father's formerly hidden fear.

"She's a vampire, Dad" My father's eyes squeeze, creases fold in his loose eyelids. Mom nods nonchalantly with aspects of gloom for what she is about to hear. "Delilah's worse than David. Daddy, we can't change her now. She's a full one"

I halt, not being able to comprehend the thought of killing my own sister. I may have a burning detestation for Delilah, but I cannot slay the memories of who she was or who she really is. Yet again, my mother nods as permission for me to continue. I inhale a deep breath, my thoughts equipped for my next sentence.

"We have to kill her. There isn't any other way" I must manoeuvre this distressful topic along with haste. I have announced what was needed to affirm. Now, we must move on to salvage ourselves from any further conversation of this. "What's your plan?"

My mother rubs my father's back, assisting him in straightening himself. He thanks her with courtesy and asks for my forgiveness in a smile. I absolve the dispute that cropped up, also through a smile.

"We need you to go back to them. Find out information on why he's doing this. Why he's had Delilah for three years" The threes. Everything is in threes.

"Delilah has been with David for three years. The battle was three months ago. Dwayne was playing with my mind for three months. There's a pattern of threes. Everything has come in threes" The men of my family look at each other, waiting for one of them to devise an answer.

"It has to be something more than David doing this for shits and giggles. Now you've said that, it just has to be something more than him getting Dwayne a hot girl for his birthday" Edgar is the first to reply, and it is a correct answer. There is something unfathomable lurking between the vampires conspire, and it is deeper than an obsession.

Dad stands there, his mind retracting various memories relevant to this crisis. I wonder, what is arising from the ashes?

"Daddy?" The one plead of his daughter's voice tows him out of his daze.

"Yeah, sweetie?" I raise my eyebrow, expecting his reflection on life to come seeping from his mouth like torrential rain, never ending. "I was just thinking, that's all. Just about – nah, it doesn't matter"

"It does" Edgar and Alan chorus together, then giving each other suspicious looks. "Copy cat" they both mutter under their breaths, duplicating the sequence of glaring.

"Just about something, honestly, it don't matter" Mom waltzes in with a plate of the purchased cookies, humming a classic song from her era. She always sung it to me as a child, only the words were never expressed.

"Cookies, anyone?" Edgar and Alan race over to the plate, snagging out their arms to feel the rough texture of dried dough. They shove a cookie into their mouth, groaning at the sensational pleasure of sugar erupting.

"I'm so glad you didn't bake these" Edgar grumbles with morsels of cookie spewing from his mouth as he talks. "We'd be dead from food poisoning"

"My cooking isn't that bad, boys! It just needs a little work to it, that's all" My mother was forbidden from practicing cuisine in the household after an event that left her four children vomiting for a week. "If it's that bad, I should send you down to Aunt Madeline's, I heard her lasagne's great!"

It is only then Edgar and Alan begin to shower my mother with compliments, not challenging themselves to insult her again.

"Come on, Sierra, eat. You must be hungry" I hold my hand up as she attempts to feed me one of the store bought cookies, denying her offer.

"I'm full from Chinese" My lies do not fool her, as my thinning body is evidence that I haven't maintained a balanced diet since I was kidnapped. "Maybe one" She stands in front of me, tapping her foot and placing her hand on her hip until the cookie is fully in my mouth.

"Chew, Sierra" she commands, I follow her order, my teeth crushing the cookie into crumbs. "Have you all discussed the plan then?"

"I'll do it on one condition" My family's heads snap in my direction, awaiting the terms and conditions for my part in their hopefully victorious strategy. "Michael can't know about it. We all know he'll go crazy, and I don't wanna hurt him" Telling Michael will not contribute to the plan; it will only make matters worse. Plus, I don't want to see him suffer on my behalf once again.

"True. If he sees you go tonight, we'll just have to hit him over the head with a baseball bat" Alan suggests, sighing as if this were not to be an issue.

"No, you'll just have to keep him away" I correct my younger brothers. Edgar slants his head idly to face me, his eyebrow heightened.

"Because we're really gonna be able to tackle a jock who's just joined the school's football team. If we tried to do that, our faces would be the shape of his shoe! God, its times like these I wish you'd date someone like Arnie"

"Michael isn't gonna find out until he realises himself that you've gone, which will probably be soon, unless we all wanna be on his kill list. I, for one, definitely don't wanna get on that dude's bad side. Should've seen him yesterday after he woke up from that fall, pissed off as hell" Dad advances over to me, cupping my cheeks with his arid hands stained with tanned nicotine. "Don't worry, angel, you'll be back with us tomorrow. At four o'clock go to school, wait until everyone else has gone and you'll meet Michael. He doesn't know about this, but after he realises you've gone, we'll tell him. Lucy is gonna be out of the house, Sam's at our house and Mr Emerson will be there looking after things. When night comes, we'll be there. Sleep, my princess, we're gonna be fighting tomorrow"

I have desired to hear those words for an elongated amount of time. Tomorrow, the suffering will come to an end. Tonight, I will learn the daunting truth of what David yearns so desperately. It is the night for change. This is the night I will unveil his secret.

* * *

**Hey guys, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed on this story, can't believe it's over 100 reviews! No idea how much it makes me happy :D **

**Anyway, I'd like to especially thank these beautiful people below for reviewing: **

**EvilFalconOfDoom  
MadeInThe90s  
Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan  
SkittleMachine  
randomobsession123  
damonadark-hunterfan69  
LostGirlForever  
N3ko8  
LovingTLB  
booklover457  
ThePhantomismyLove**

But yup, thank you every single one of you and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story :D  
Much love, VogueCharlotteVogue


	26. The Threes

I abide by my father's advice. It could save my life, alongside the advantage of seizing vital information from David's frosty lips. I will effort with everything inside of me to obtain his darkest secrets for it will hold the significance veiled from me. According to my father, it is critical to ensure that I am not too abnormal, and remain myself. The scheme of the century is nigh and shall be put into action very soon.

Before I returned to the cave where oracles will seep from David's mouth, my father chaperoned me to the end of the hallway and held me to his chest for a sheer second until it dawned onto him that he had to free me so I could carry out the artful plot I had recently sworn to involve myself in. After the fatherly embrace, I said my goodbyes and departed with the intention of hunting down David and the others.

I navigated my way through the vivacious crowd flourishing with people, the capability to hinder their screaming and everlasting talk was something I could not dominate unless a third person embroiled themselves to whisper in my mind. I eventually detected them at the summit of all life – the marshal amp.

The first person to greet me was Dwayne, as I had already predicted. With his eyes depicting shadows, his hair perfectly surging down to his naked chest, he was beauty. Behind all his splendour was a snarling fiend, it was the vampire I had been acquainted with only days beforehand, and it still is inside of him where his true colours impersonating a caring man on the outside reside. He gently fondled my lips with his. For him, it was a triumph of enjoyment, but for me it might as well have been Death arriving to abduct me. I did not oppose his love touching my hatred as I feared it would demolish the plan. But I certified that I would not surrender to him completely and simply sauntered away from his corruption once he liberated me.

It was then David chose to leave The Boardwalk, abandoning it for another night and to welcome it again the following night. Little did they know that it would be the last time they could set their eyes on their adored hangout; the finale is creeping up on them, and tomorrow they will be banished from lingering under the dark canopy altogether.

In the present, I sit on the sheet of dust continuously floating onto the surface of the antique fountain, observing David. He draws in the scent of tepid crimson liquid hidden under my skin coloured by the sun caressing me during the sunlight hours I am currently expelled from roaming in. His facial features contort, exhibiting his satisfaction. He assumes his ambition is functioning well, when truly it is weakening. He believes he will defile the human blood, contaminating it with his immortal toxicity. Tomorrow when he lays on the barren floor dead, he will comprehend he was wrong.

David's eyes portray a human's eyes, the pigment encircling his black pupils reminding me of the oceans shallowest section before it morphs into a lethal killer. I have seen his real demons gleam in those eyes. The molten gold glinting showed his foes being plunged into flames, the only thing of them subsisted being the ashes mounting into the air until they expanded and became one with the oxygen. As citizens smelt the dead, they did not once consider that it was a warning. The warning was not to provoke the undead, or they will be those ashes flying high – like himself, becoming immortal to reign terror on the surface of Earth.

A silence is forced between the two of us, the only thing creating noise are the instructions from David's noxious eyes, demanding me to talk. I disobey, for he is the one who will initiate the conversation. Once he instigates a topic, I will manoeuvre it to suit my purpose. I refuse for him to deny it. He will answer the questions necessary. He does not renounce his title as the superior one though; it is up to me to start everything. It is my wish. Instead I will speak, and only when he replies will I activate the plan.

"You all seem to be quiet tonight, what's up? Holy water got splashed on your vocal chords?" It wasn't the best thing to say, but my mind is littered with stress. Everything starts here.

"How's the family, Sierra? Haven't seen them for a while" David fulfils my wish; he is just starved of the knowledge that it was in fact my wish. It is now I will play them at their own game. Half of the game is avenging their wrongs they have chastised me with, whereas the other half is purely for information.

"They're good. Shame, really that Delilah couldn't see them. Would have given them a chance to remember her" Delilah glares at me, resisting peeling back her lips and gorging her fangs into my neck. I pick at the noodles belonging to Dwayne, singling out the ones slathered in water, preferring to select the more dry ones, and let out a sigh of false despair. "Oh well, maybe next time!"

I watch Delilah's glowering reaction as it penetrates painlessly through my skin. After disowning me as her sister with only the ridiculing nickname of 'little sis' being a verification of our blood relation, it brings me immense delight to see her furious after all the tortures she has imposed upon me.

"I'm surprised they remembered you, Sierra. After all, you have changed quite a bit. If you could see yourself in the mirror, bit of an issue considering you gave up everything for a stupid kid to become one of us –" My natural impetuous personality unleashes itself, only exhuming from deep inside of my core when motivated by aggravation.

Nobody has the right to slander Laddie that way – ever.

At the same time, as if she had forecasted my explosion massacring all kind characteristics, Delilah and I launch ourselves from our resting positions and become proximate with each other. I stare into her chestnut eyes varnished with pleasure. My retaliations may be nourishing her with satisfaction, but I have grown weary from allowing the burning of a seething fire to continue until it extinguishes. It is now I yearn to set those flames onto her.

"May I remind you that I did this for Laddie, otherwise he would have been killed?" All Delilah does is cackle at me; her opinion of my retort is comical.

"Oh wow, Sierra! Because you are so brave like that, aren't you? You back-downed because you were afraid to fight" She is nothing but a hypocrite. She was frightened of being alive, she detested life because of the disappointing circumstance she shared with our brothers and me, and therefore she sought out an escape.

"Delilah, enough" Dwayne growls, defensively hooking his fingers around mine. I aggressively brush him aside with my arm – I do not need his counterfeit love as assistance. I refuse to welcome it. I will decline anything from that man.

Even when I am breathing my last, I will not allow him to restore my health. He worships the thought of me clinging onto him like a lifeline. He will always inexpressively ask for forgiveness, his unconvincing excuse being that he loves me. His affection for me isn't love, it is a fixation. I know what love is, and it isn't what he shows me. I was showered with love from another, but Dwayne's passion for me distorted into envy, and it lead onto his fuelled quest to force his unclaimed love and rival apart. He was prompted by David; why else would David permit him to feel love for me?

"Just like you did? Do tell me, Delilah, why is it you said yes?" Delilah stares blankly at me. I have ensnared her in a twin of her own invention. I can feel the rush of rage searing throughout her, the power of it inflaming.

She only shows certain aspects though; the true extent of her anger is eclipsed behind a mask.

"You know why, Sierra, you saw it day in and day out how I felt!" Her protests and petty motives do not have any effect on me, as she acknowledges I encountered the same treatment from our parents.

"So because you got fed up with life, you decided to turn into a vampire? And you have the nerve to tell me I have no backbone? Because, to me, your reason sounds like you only said yes to run away" I bellow, projecting my voice raucously so everyone can hear my opinion. Is it an opinion though, or could it genuinely be the pitiful explanation I have been perusing after for three years? "I'm right, aren't I? You ran away because you were a bored little girl and because you couldn't get your own way, you ran away for some fun"

"Living with potheads for parents isn't a fun job, believe it or not, Sierra!" she yells, for once she is correct. She acts as if this news is unheard of to my ears. However, she knows that I am immune to my parent's earlier erratic behaviour caused by induced elation.

"Yeah, I know. You passed the job onto me when I was fourteen. I've had four years of dealing with it, Delilah, so don't even think about playing that one with me" She aches to strike, to vent her dormant confessions onto me using the method of clenched fists making fierce contact with skin. She cannot accept the truth warping her mind, for she knows she has completed an irreversible change.

"What the hell are you even doing here, Sierra?" she questions, just one question. I am surprised that I have not been bombarded with insults from her rouged lips. Instead, I have achieved success.

Knowing Delilah's short fuse when it comes to disputes, there will either be two outcomes – relinquishment or more verbal conflicts. She has chosen the first option which will be my benefit. My father directed that once invited to launch the plan, I would capture the opportunity and begin my search for answers.

"To ask your precious master why he's got us here" I shout, gesturing to David who has an ominous smirk creeping on his lips. That smirk indicates that he has been waiting for this conversation to arise.

"Because, he wants to help us get away from –"

"Shut up, Delilah" David snaps, his portentous eyes vigilant and remaining on me. I have the procedure organized. Firstly I will enquire about his obscure composition of threes. Secondly, I will lure him into answering everything. All I need is luck as I know this will be problematic. The conclusion will be being conscious of all the facts. I am equipped to linger until all is said.

Delilah knits her eyebrows together, befuddled by David's sudden hostile response. She glimpses at me a few times, confident that I will introduce her to the reason why he bluntly rebuked her. I am fatigued of bringing answers to her when all she does is snubs them because it does not suit her own ideal solution.

"You don't want us because we're apparently your 'friends'. There's something more than that, David, and you've been hiding it from us for years" His daunting smirk broadens with dark chuckles accompanying it, what I say is the truth. He has a harrowing secret to tell. "Let's start with the threes, what's behind them?"

"Threes? What the hell are you talking about?" Delilah screeches, she isn't fond of the truth as she has been enchanted by deceptions. The man who inveigled her into his clan three years ago did not divulge his authentic personality to her, but now it is radiating from his harsh voice. "Shut up, Sierra, just shut –"

She will not silence me. The truth has to emerge from its untrustworthy hibernation eventually under this crepuscular light. Delilah and I will never make amends as sisters or friends, but she has one privilege – truth. This plot must involve Delilah somehow, so consequently she is entitled to know what part she has been oblivious to.

"Everything is in threes, Delilah!" I scream, ramming her down to the floor before her tightened fist can clash with my face. "You've been here with David for three years, it's been three months since Michael, Star and I were turned back, three months I've been mindfucked into loving another guy who I feel nothing for!"

Dwayne would be adjacent with me sneering his desire, the one declaration I have heard escape from his lips a thousand times, if it wasn't for David grasping onto his arm whilst inhaling nicotine from his alight cigarette.

Delilah is speechless, the bottom of her ruby lips quivers and her eyes flick back and forth from David and I.

"It's just a coincidence. You're speaking shit, Sierra, just to get me back with you" She cannot accept it, she will always seek out an excuse to pardon the men who have her leashed to their manipulation.

"Would I be here if I was speaking shit?" She unfastens her lips to retort, I will not give her permission this time. When it comes to grave subjects such as this, she needs to be quiet for her own benefit. "Now, if you don't mind moving on, Delilah, let your master speak. We wouldn't wanna be rude, would we now?" Delilah glares at me, but keeps her mouth shut. "What's this whole thing about the threes?"

David cackles heinously, the truth is draping off of his lips – I can sense it imitating his cackles. Is this the moment of honesty? There is a battle of the eyes where I see past the human disguise David is displaying. All I can see are his sins flickering, the truth is secreted in those sins, charring in an illuminative combustion.

"Death, Sierra" he reveals through his depraved grin. My heart jolts, the pounding of it is brought to a standstill as if I have abruptly died.

Death. It can either mean two things: David has brought Delilah and I into his toothed claws to slaughter us, or an event rooting from Death has caused two sisters to be here. But which one is the torturous reason?

A silence grazes across everybody's mouths, but eyes wander around, dissimilar feelings congested in them. Dwayne's are locked onto me, only a golden key can unchain them. Delilah's explore for faith that will construct her flawless world back together again. Mine and Davids are attached together through air, investigating for two things: a result and a reaction.

"What do you mean by death?" my voice stammers due to my bewilderment. Of course – Marko and Paul. It's an act of revenge. But it's all in a set of threes, the timing of them stretching from years to months and finally to measly days. David chuckles in a low tone; there is more to this irksome fact.

"Think about it, Sierra" I have thought enough to concoct another mystery; it is maddening attempting to congregate the fragments of this horror together. The darkest corners of my mind already belong to David. It's where he respires, where he ingests my terror for the twilight, the moment when he can surface from my mentality into actual life. "You need to ask the right question"

He will never answer, but instead will abandon his answers like they are nonexistent, resulting in me chasing after them. I have to think of another approach, and fast. Dusk is waning into dawn, and the vampires will sleep in their bed of shams soon. I find deluding people for my own advantage insufferable, but I cannot take my emotions into account if I wish to have the truth exploited tonight. Dwayne – I will force him to tell me.

I hate everything I am about to perform, but I have to think of my family's sakes. In order to succeed, I must think of my family and friends. My eyes, brimming with phony tears of sorrow, shackle to Dwayne's. His lips are ajar, will he declare the shadowy puzzle? He meanders over to me, becoming imminent with my fragile frame where it concludes at the slight tilt of his chin. What is he doing? His wintry fingers delicately slant my chin to gaze into his eyes, challenging me to love him. He can't be doing this, why am I not ceasing him?

A warm sensation rushes across my body – he's playing his malicious games again, his lustful charms are deforming my emotions. No! He cannot do this again, I won't allow him to.

His absent breath mingles with mine as he leans down, it is a feeling too strong, too compelling to resist. I know what he is doing, and the warrior entombed inside of my heart is clawing frantically for freedom. My eyes slip down with his, my hand lightly cupping his stubbly cheek. Marko and Paul said I could defeat his power plays, but it is too fervent. David even admitted I was growing stronger, meaning it was getting complex to fool around with my common sense. Where is a saviour?

One person brings me a scintillating spark of confidence – Michael. Dwayne endeavoured to thieve me from Michael for three months, and I swear he will not do so again in these three seconds.

Michael's voice expressing his love for me repeats in my head. I love Michael, the only love I felt for Dwayne was imaginary, placed in my sentiment for one solitary principle. There is something Dwayne has to be educated – I am Michael's, not his.

"Stop" I cry, he does not delay his movement though, only making the speed of them faster. There is only one way to interfere. "I don't love you" Everything stops. Breathing rate is fast, he is furious.

But can I dare myself to create a temper that will eradicate all of his feigning illusion? At a deliberate pace, I walk over to him where our eyes anchor to each other. He is combating the belligerent vampire within from materializing, it is all a part of their retribution, he wants me to be his for eternity, to love him, for me to be his mate. It will not happen, and I am about to inform him of the reasons why I will forever reject his love.

"I love Michael, Dwayne. Your games won't break us apart again" The time has come, he will reveal his real self. "You got some sick satisfaction from doing that, and I'll be damned if I'll let you do it again to us"

Dwayne violently tugs my head so it is only inches away from his, his eyes are pure red like the blood that forced me to become what I am today, he is resisting blood. His claws tangle themselves in my dark brown hair, clasping onto the many strands in order to keep me harnessed in front of him.

"You will be mine, Sierra. I don't care if you and Michael are completely in love. I've loved you ever since I first saw you, and you will be mine – I'll make sure of it." I release a strained moan of agony as his grip is so tight, it feels as if he is tearing masses of the corkscrews out from my scalp. "I love you, Sierra" he then growls. Is this what he considers as love?

When I whimpered, his demonic features relaxed, realising how much pain he was inflicting upon his 'true love'. His normalised hand slumps to his side and he begins a silent interval between us, pausing for an answer from me.

"You could give me anything but love" I ceremoniously sneer. He turns on his heel, impelling me aside before he storms back to where he was reborn – the darkness. I watch him for a second before restarting my investigation, moving my sights onto David who appears entertained by Dwayne and mine's quarrel over his accusations of love. "What do you mean by Death, David?"

"You haven't asked the right question, Sierra!" he playfully chides, wagging his finger at me. "Ask the right question, and I will answer"

"I haven't got time for thinking of your ideal question!" I emphatically yell, what is the right question? What do I need to rectify? I exhale a deep breath; I need to compose myself, as all my outbursts are doing are supplying him with bonus twisted luxuries. "What does Death have to do with the pattern of threes? Why is it three years, three months and three days?"

David chuckles again, his signature chuckle masquerading evil. Have I delivered the accuracy he requires? If so, will he satisfy me with the remedy of details?

"Now that, Sierra, is the right question. You've mentioned years, but it wasn't three years ago, it was twenty-three years ago. It was all started then"

I scour for all information embalmed in my brain, laid to rest until discovered. What happened twenty-three years ago, in 1964, before I was even conveyed into this debauched world? The sun is rising, my time is up. I must find out, it is my mission before I return tomorrow.

"What happened?" I ask, jerking my eyes back onto him. He has to tell me. It is mandatory he confesses. He snickers, my time has ended.

"Time for you to rest, Sierra, and time for us to as well. Come, Delilah" He pushes himself out of his throne – the ancient wheelchair where gauzy cobwebs have been assembled for the creatures so many humans dread crawling.

When I think about it, I have been enticed into a cobweb of lies. A claw is the traps master, but if enough strength is put into it, a human hand can sever the resilience and free the body entrapped inside it.

I follow them, until David obstructs me from embarking any further into their chamber of confidentiality.

"Sleep on the bed, after all," he sniggers to himself, he knows what will take place tomorrow, and he is enthusiastic for the bloodshed "you've got a busy day tomorrow. Haven't you, Sierra?" I spitefully elevate two corners of my lips, and snatch the black cape from his hands. "Good night, Sierra, and I'll see you tomorrow"

He descends down the jagged tunnels, finally leaving me in some form of peace. I walk over to the bed, collapsing onto the supple pillow, enveloping my body with the cape and a few of the filmy blankets. I check behind my shoulder, for a final time inspecting the archway of barbed rocks. I have just realised that those pointed rocks are a defence, preventing anyone from staking them.

I close my eyes, with only one thought circuiting in the labyrinth hidden deep within my brain – What occurred twenty-three years ago?

* * *

**Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter guys, and thank you for reading. Let me know what you think in a review, and once again, thank you for reading and hope you enjoy. ~VogueCharlotteVogue 3 **


	27. I Can Breathe

_"It started in threes, and he wants it to end in threes. It's all his idea of karma; karma is in threes." Marko, his departed spirit confides in me from his timeless, vast sea of darkness. "Dwayne didn't kill Paul, he just tricked you into believing he did for your trust. Dwayne didn't want you to kill him that night, he desired your weakness. His love, it is real, but the love you felt for him was not. He didn't try to stop them from hurting you, he wanted them to so he could have you"_

_Finally, I know all of Dwayne's secrets. They do not alarm me as I had expected this to be the truth. _

_The stars glittering in the velvet sky are his eyes surveying the world where he was once immortal. They observe my development, ensuring I am safe. People state that stars are light-years away from a human's touch, when thought about exhaustively though, the distance is not as remote as the scientific theory testifies. _

_The threes. The majestic threes situated on a pedestal, incarcerated from my knowledge. Twenty-three years ago, it commenced with threes and David's purpose is for it to conclude in threes. Death – could David hunger Death? _

_"We can't tell you much more, babe. You have to find it out for yourself" It is then Paul who communicates his wisdom, and I intend to adhere to it. "The first part of the plan will be carried out, but tonight to show the meaning of love you've been forbidden from having for these past few days, the second part will falter. But you must go no matter what. David knows, Dwayne knows of the plan. Your mother, trust her with your life" _

_Marko and Paul mature in colour, their defiant yet loyal selves appearing in front of me. Their smiles to the outside world beyond my kingdom of dreams would be comprehended as wordless, but to me, it verifies how we are intimate friends by the soul, heart and mind. _

I am roused hastily, today is where every monstrous deed inflicted on my family, every burden singed into my heart, and where the three remaining vampires who gained my trust over deceiving years until it was destroyed, will be delivered to a barbarous extinction. I will have to confront the glaring sunlight today as its rays will strike me to a destabilized condition. I remember the last time I faced the suns luminosity as a half vampire; it tormented my eyes so they would be smouldered and fatigued me until the point where my thoughts were bleary.

I find it odd. I dreamed every night, every daydream consisted of this dream to be one of them. But now that I'm incarcerated here, I just want to go home.

Through the cracks in the rock ceiling, the brightness from the banned outside streams in, it is the only source of light I have. The intense beams have ignored the beware cautions, daring themselves to become intruders in the land of shadows.

"Sierra," a dark voice breathes, stunning my movements and haunting the atmosphere with dread "go back to sleep – now" He cannot imprison me in his dungeon until the illuminated glow wandering around the cave perishes, being assassinated by the tempest who is the night, only for it to revive itself when it rises though the dreary morning sky.

I am in the position of authority now. The sun has mocked him down to the shallow end of its curse, he cannot dominate me. There are two decisions I can make – stay or leave. Without even having to think twice, I am willing to violate the conditions of my deal with David in order to escape. If I look at our demoralizing pact in a different prospect, I have kept my word. I have mutated into half of what David has hankered me to be, he stated that I joined him. To escape, I must act blind to the full transaction I have to endure to become one of them. It doesn't make a difference though, either way, they will die – and it will be tonight. I am not going to live the life I have suffering for three days again. I refuse to subject myself to it today, so I will be damned if I will allow it to continue tomorrow. They have to be killed. I have no choice – they have no choice.

However, when the time comes – will I surrender? I cannot even visualize watching my sister get exterminated like she is nothing to me. Though I do not picture her as the adoring sister I wasted three years seeking for, the memories prevail. I want to encase myself with these memories until they morph into a heavenly reality, but I am smart enough to acknowledge that reality is far from my dreams. I often wonder, if I tried hard enough, would I discover my long lost sister? Delilah is trapped behind a mirror. Her face is shown but behind the face is a screaming little girl, terrified of what her life has twisted into. Everything was silent until last night, then the screeching commenced when secrets committed to David's bank of memories were vaguely exposed.

Delilah and I are oblivious to what happened twenty-three years ago, all the way back in 1964. Two vampires know, but will not let anything slip unless the right question is asked. That is David's view. Dwayne, on the other hand, will not converse with me until I admit defeat and yield to his heart. Because of this, David will be the one to tell all – hopefully. There is a memory residing, latent and motionless, in my mind. It has something to do with mine and my father's intimate conversation the other night. I just know it. If I can think back to my family's roots, maybe it will aid me in remembering. But this is not the time for thinking, it's the time for escaping.

I chuckle to myself, amused by his effort to control me. I am alive in the place that would kill him, he cannot oppress me here.

"Goodbye, Dwayne" There will be more words spoken between us, but they will only be expressed words of dislike before he is acquainted with his penalty, the consequence for all of his actions.

I can hardly distinguish the black iron handles positions on the elderly grandfather clock as cobwebs adorned a fine coat of silver powder created naturally, unless I squint – it's three thirty! I will have to precede my journey now, or I will be behind schedule. I collect my cape, sheathing it over my body as a shield from the scornful ball of flames looming in the sky painted blue temporarily.

"Don't you dare run back to him" I was going to blatantly pay no heed to his decrees, but he must be taught, I am not his. I will never be regarded as a possession to any man – especially to the man who abused my trust for years. "He doesn't love you, Sierra, not like I love you" he then growls, he realises he is incorrect.

I turn around slowly to face him lurking in his threatening confinement. Only his crimson eyes shimmer, everything else is devoured by the taunting shadows.

"Michael loves me more than you could ever love me in your whole lifetime" He battles the painstaking exertion of withholding himself from emerging from his everlasting nocturnal world to bind me to it and have me reluctantly conjoined to his frightful presence. "Goodbye, Dwayne"

I immediately dash out of the cave with Dwayne's irritated screams chasing after me, their goal being to entangle me and forever sentence me to a life under the night's shelter. As soon as the blazing sunlight hits them, they disintegrate into nothing. I am free. At last, I can breathe the air I wish to breathe. They no longer have a hold on me. I have disobeyed them, and it feels incredible.

From just one step into the light, I feel breathless. But it is vital that I persevere, for my friends and family. Bolts of vertigo spiral in my head, the sun loathes me for becoming half of its enemy, but I must try to encourage it that soon I will return to a human being. The heat is unbearable, and it is persistent to beam down onto me. Beads of sweat tumble down my forehead, streaks of its dampness running in an indirect line have taken the foundation away, revealing my naturally tanned skin.

My limp muscles wrench the black motorbike belonging to Delilah up and I do not waste any time climbing onto it as I feel my arms growing weaker. I start the engine, it jubilantly roars with mighty pride, and before I even apprehend what I am doing, I speed away in straight line! The startling beginning to my journey filched me of all oxygen. Dust particles soar up into the air as the rubber tyres conceive a track in where they formerly rested. I am returning to home. After days of wishing, distraughtly praying for a miracle to occur, my dream has become a reality. Within less than an hour, I will be enveloped in Michael's reliable arms, the place where I feel most at ease.

* * *

It beats ferociously down on my skin, my clothes grip onto the sheen of sweat plastering my body because of its mockery. This expedition from the vampires nest to outside Santa Carla High has been a never-ending fever. I am surprised that I had no intervals of peace whilst travelling. I couldn't though due to my anticipation to see Michael again. I don't want to be prevented from being in his robust arms for another second.

The American flag, an array of red, white and blue, our nations flag wafts with the winds mild pace full of pride. Even the defaced golden plaque where the school's name has been carved in is dignified. Below the sign is the entrance to the place of education I once thought was hell. Very few people walk out of the double doors. After all, it is after school hours, but there are daily clubs popular with the students. I cannot recall what day it is, but from the boy's apparel, they have attended football training. I wait on the motorbike until they are both out of my field of vision before climbing off, setting my feet steadily on the fractured concrete.

I carelessly toss the cape over the seat of the motorbike, deserting it there until someone comes along to steal it along with the cherished motorbike that has transported me halfway to paradise, and walk languidly to the doors I have opened and closed, held open in an act of courtesy, so many times. My eyes are droopy, desiring to slip down to insert my soul into a fearful slumber.

The sun conquers me for a moment. Its creation of a whirling feeling enhancing in my head, causes me to descend to the ground. Though I have ceased any movement, the world persists to spin around. It has the citizens residing everywhere to take into consideration, and that is what I have to do. With this motivation, I kick off the stilettos and watch them slide across the concrete surface into the emerald leaves glistening under my foe before arising from this weakened state I don't want to ever return to.

With all my potency, I force the groaning doors open, thrusting myself into the comfort of the littered hallways where desolate pieces of paper float around, searching for their owners. It is then I see him – Michael. He is spraying deodorant, the fragrance of fougere and essential oils expanding from his locker into my nostrils.

"Yo, Michael!" a man's voice booms, echoing throughout all the corridors. I can recognize the voice, but my mind is lacking clarity from the suns odious rays. The doors behind me crash to a close, the reverberations clashing with the thunderous voice.

At once, I put myself out of sight behind the opposite set of scarlet lockers. My face, the black and white eyes of an overjoyed girl, stares at me. The words: **MISSING GIRL – SIERRA FROG, **will haunt me forever. I am a missing person, just another ghost pasted on the walls of Santa Carla, among all of David's deceased prey. Unlike them, I am alive and according to recent events, it was the aim to keep me alive.

Michael's head twists around rapidly and without delay after the doors make their roaring declaration that I have arrived, like he was expecting me. Has my father told Michael of their plans? Michael shakes his head, sighing in distress before adjusting his sights so they are placed on the two men in identical navy football jackets. He greets them with cheerfulness; it is exceedingly thrilling to see him optimistic again. I have missed it.

"Hey, Mike, we heard the coach talking 'bout making you captain of the football team" one of the men, Calvin Hodgkin's, informs him, with the response being positive. I couldn't be happier for him! A beaming smile, a smile that has been dormant for a while, widens along my stained lips. Listening to Michael's achievements does nothing but make me ecstatic! "Anyway, me and a bunch of the guys are going to the beach at seven for a party. Privilege of being a popular dude, you get parties and chicks"

"Thanks, man, but I'm at The Boardwalk tonight" Michael is quick to decline their offer and by the looks of the other two men – Daniel and Calvin – they appreciate his refusal.

I am good friends with both Calvin and Daniel and have known them since elementary school. Daniel is the shyer of the two, preferring to spend his time practising football techniques with friends instead of going to parties, whereas Calvin is the opposite. Calvin favours the stereotypical lifestyle of a popular teenage boy and never rejects a party when invited.

"Man, any news of Sierra?" Calvin asks in a more hushed voice, his eyes manifesting concern. "It's been like, almost a week. I'm getting worried about her" If only they could hear my thoughts, they would soon be notified of where I am hiding.

"Don't worry, Calvin, I'll find her" It is an assured oath. He will find me, and it will be sooner than his beliefs. Daniel pats Michael on the back, encouraging him with warmth that my location will be unearthed.

"You're a good boyfriend, Michael. Aw shit, I've left my shirt in the changing rooms!" The three of them say their goodbyes, the slamming of the doors and the hurried pitter patter of feet colliding with the floor beforehand proving this.

I hear the blast of Michael slamming his personal safe made from efficient recycled metal, and then the alacrity in his footsteps as they pursue down the hallway. It is time I publicize my presence. My left foot drags itself eagerly in front, revealing the bareness of my feet. Then it's the right foot that repositions itself. The cycle of feet moving repeats until I am corresponding with Michael.

"I'm over here, Michael" I breathe. The sunlight has robbed me of all energy. Instantly, Michael dashes over, collecting me in the robust arms I have been exiled from because of a nameless purpose invented by presumably death. His lips caress my forehead whilst his slender fingers brush hectic, brown locks out of my eyes that are slipping down as my head nestles in his shoulder.

"I swear, Sierra, from this moment on, you're never gonna be alone. I'm not losing you again" he whispers between tender kisses. A pained groan escapes my lips, the cause of it being the rush of agony streaming throughout my stomach. "Let's get outta here, baby" The muscles Michael has earned through the effort of weight lifting contract as he bundles me in his arms. "It's gonna be alright, princess. It's gonna be alright" he then reassures me. Because of the overpowering trust we share, I believe every word Michael says.

Michael kicks the sturdy wooden door open, sprinting out into my momentary hell. It will transform into an undeviating heaven again soon. The reversible revolution will undergo operation tonight. With each prompt footfall, there is a bullet of faintness rupturing my skull. After what seems like an eternity, Michael reaches the cherry red Chevy his grandpa purchased years beforehand. He lays me down delicately in the front seat so my body sprawls over my seat and the driver's seat.

The plan was a successful one. But phase two will ensue tonight. Unless, Marko and Paul's prophecies materialize. From past experience, I know the second section of my father's grand scheme will fail. It has something to do with my mother. I know that may sound awful, but I'm merely having confidence in Marko and Paul's words. A bang is echoed through an undersized area of Santa Carla as Michael shuts his car door. My head is placed on his lap; his fingers gingerly stroke the roots of my treated hair.

"Go to sleep, baby. You need rest" I nod, shutting my eyes just as the engine roars.

Darkness creeps into my inner thoughts, and the silhouettes of two of my friends come into view. I know for a fact, I am entering my dreams again.

The last words I perceive are slurred, but they portray everlasting love in four simple yet significant words, and they belong to Michael: 'I love you, Sierra'

* * *

_Sorry for the lonnnnnnnnng wait everyone! Got important exams coming up soon, and doing A LOT of studying :') _

_Well, hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you to those who read and reviewed on the previous chapter :) _


	28. Confessions For Another

For once, awakening from a slumber is relieving as I have the definite knowledge that I am home, back where I belong. No more qualms to face when my eyes flicker open, no more reasons to be frightened. I inhale the aroma of fresh, seasoned tomatoes and my tastebuds can practically savour the layers of pasta smothered in rich butter. My senses seem to be developing with every growing day, and the lust for crimson blood is climaxing along with them. Every hour, every waking second, is like a battle. The crave is gruelling and my biggest phobia is not being able to resist it.

I straighten my back on the solid pine frame and stretch all of my flexible muscles as I exhale. The sleep I fell into was more than luxurious, something I haven't attained for an elongated amount of time. But waking up to an assuring environment is the most excellent sensation I can endure currently. My crystal blue eyes capture a glimpse of a piece of ashen paper resting on top of a silken, jet black robe, folded neatly to reduce the chance of gaining any crease. The palms of my hands crawl across the overlapping cotton blankets to obtain the note, and when retrieved, I begin to examine the black words.

_'Hey, angel. If you're reading this, you're probably at Michael's right now. Relax for a while. Read a book, cuddle with Michael (sex is banned. But just in case, I'm hoping Michael's still got the present), eat some peanut butter or whatever you want to eat. Anyway, we'll be here at about seven when the sun starts to go down. We're locked and loaded and ready to kill some vamps. See you then, angel. Love, Papa.  
P.S. In the bathroom is some stuff to get rid of the perm. It suits you and everything, but I prefer waves or straight hair as it makes you look less sexy. Damn, I'm going to stop writing now. See you later, angel!' _

Allowing a giggle to release itself, I dismount the bed, placing my bare feet onto the wooden surface. Subsequent to situating the note down onto the smooth sheets, I gather the robe into my arms and enter the bathroom, locking the door behind me in order to get changed out of the outfit I was pressurized to wear, a method of seduction only benefiting the monster lingering inside of me, and into something I consider more comfortable.

* * *

The door silently closes behind me with the guidance of my slender fingers as I exit the bathroom with my robe slackening my worry, and another hairstyle of conditioned waves gorging down to my ribs. The cool breeze trespassing from the agape window causes many dark strands to whip my face gingerly. I rush out of the room, escaping the glacial temperature, and gently close the door to Michael's bedroom. For the first time since Dwayne brought me to the cave, I feel like myself. The sensation of normalisation is overwhelming. It has been too long; the time has been extended and has gone afar the elements of pressure, and thus, morphing into a distorted personality - a newborn creation for David.

My naked feet lightly converge with the wooden stairs, screeching at the unforeseen contact. Somehow, a bottomless instinct announces how the ambience is unsettled, yet the justification is hidden. The instinct diminishes with each step taken until the stairs are nonexistent as I am on the ground floor, and is completely invisible.

I perceive a hiss, my head snaps in the direction of the sudden whisper imploring for attention. To my delight, it is Grandpa Emerson who is summoning me. Grandpa Emerson, in his daily ensemble of a plain, oatmeal t-shirt and a patterned bandana encircled around his snow white receding hairline, beckons me with a critical expression etching his features to access his mysterious lair where a burgundy hue radiates. I peer behind my shoulder, only hearing the vague mumbles of Michael who is in the opposite room, before entering the retreat Grandpa Emerson constantly resides in. He instantly slams the sliding doors out of haste, meandering over to his oak cabinet whilst muttering to himself.

"You know much about your grandparents, Sierra?" he asks in a more coherent voice, continuing to keep his back on me.

"Only from what my Aunt's told me, which isn't really a lot" I reply, moving my head in an attempt to view what he is seeking for in the cabinet brimming with anonymity. The few facts I knew were primarily about my grandmother.

Connie Frog, born in a foreign country sometime in early 1916. My great-grandmother, whose name is unknown to me, gave birth to my grandmother in the quaint village of Saint Gaultier, France, resting on the banks of River Creuse where she lived until the age of twenty when she transported independently to Santa Carla in order to pursue her dream of attending an American university. At a Christmas Fair, the same year in 1936, a month after leaving her native soil, she was acquainted with my grandfather, Gus Frog. They lived the typical love story, until the night of my grandfather's murder.

"Your Grandpoppa, Gus, was my best friend" Grandpa Emerson releases a satisfied sigh as he proudly grins at the photograph pinched in between his thumbs, ensuring it will not fall to the ground. "Ah, yes, he was a strapping young man. We were brought up together; our mothers knew each other from working at the bakery that still runs down by the beach. Your Grandpa and I used to go in there and steal some cakes for our girls. Never got caught once"

He gazes at the photograph dismally and maintains the look of melancholy as he strolls over to me, tentatively passing the photograph into my hand. The people, in their period clothing from the 1930's, beam at the camera, not even the film grain can masquerade their happiness. Immediately, I can recognize the blushing bride who is an illustration of me with little differences, as my grandmother. The satin bias cuts embrace her lean hourglass figure, reminding me of my Aunt Madeline tremendously.

With his sturdy arm linking with her slender one, my grandfather stands next to her, his tall stance towering over her petite one. From examining his appearance, it seems my father is his doppelganger.

"Those were the good ol' days, Sierra. Just me, Gus, Connie, and my dear Catherine" he exhales mournfully, and my instinct alerts me that I am going to receive a significant broadcasting of truths. "It all changed twenty-three years ago though"

My head snaps up as the momentous date is suggested once more. Will Grandpa Emerson inform me of what happened twenty-three years ago?

"Your grandfather, Santa Carla's hero. Judd was with him, a scrawny seventeen year old kid, when he died. Our good friend, Ronald Keenan, went missing a few days beforehand, and your grandpa was out looking for him about a night before. I don't know what happened, only that a vampire staked him. Your Dad staked that vampire good. Full of rage, no doubt after seeing his dad killed. Connie never stopped wearing black after that day. Until the very day she died, even wrote it in her damn will that she was to be buried in black!" Grandpa Emerson chuckles to himself, savouring a recollection from the past. "October 18th 1969, Connie died. I don't know what happened to the poor dear. I remember the last time I ever spoke to Connie, the night before she died. Told me about you and Delilah, and wouldn't stop going on about how gorgeous and blue your eyes were, Sierra" He halts for a moment and smiles warmly at me. "I remember Judd brought you round one day and let me cradle you in my arms until you fell asleep. Connie wouldn't stop smiling at you, don't think I'd seen her smile in years. You and Delilah made her so happy, it was the only time I saw her happiness come out of its shell. Thinking back to that conversation, remembering her description, and seeing you now eighteen years later, all I can say is, wow. She's proud of you, Sierra. She may be dead, but she's proud. Michael struck gold when he met you; I know that for a fact. When the boys came down for the summer, Michael would tell me about his girls, he didn't say much on them though. But with you, he can't stop complimenting you, Sierra. You're all he thinks about. When you went missing a couple of days ago, I'd never seen the boy so worried. Most nights he came downstairs, I heard him pacing around for a while before there was silence. He's happy again now you're back. Thank you for making him happy, Sierra"

I don't think I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing poignant recollections captured in a monologue before. Whilst listening intently, my smile never once withered. It was overflowing with sentiment of such beauty. I've never seen this side of Grandpa Emerson. I hope that one day this side will flourish once more from its hibernation.

"Anyway, you go see what Michael's up to. Last I heard, he was talking on the phone. Didn't seem too happy. Then again, what with all you teenagers watching MTV and listening to that trash, no wonder you're not happy" A predicted smirk crawls onto his lips, his thoughts returning back to normal after his emotive speech crammed with information. "Then again, from what I've heard, you get these half naked chicks in the videos shown on MTV. Looks like I'm gonna get a TV sometime soon!" he titters to himself, guiding me out of the room, scanning my attire. "Oh yes, Michael is going to be very happy when he sees you!" He winks jokingly before closing the doors gently.

I walk through the kitchen, breathing in the delicious aroma of lasagne. I haven't ingested a substantial meal in more than five days, so the smell persists in seducing me. My ears heed the muffled sound of Michael discussing certain matters on the cable phone situated in the dining room. Though I despise prying around for news, I am concerned about Michael's disposition as Grandpa Emerson stated that Michael didn't appear in the greatest of spirits earlier.

"Yeah, I'm still lifting" Michael notifies the person on the other end of the call, sounding very monotonous as he speaks in a hushed voice. "Yeah, I got a girlfriend" There is a pause as the other person voices another question. "Sierra, and I'm not coming up for a while. I've got school to think about" Another silence looms over the room; the only sounds heard are the other male chirping away and Michael exhaling exasperatedly. "Ok, bye"

The phone crashes with the other part and I can hear Michael's enraged footsteps march into the dining room where grunting can immediately be heard after the noise of feet fiercely colliding with the hard floor ceases. I make myself apparent, coughing faintly in order to encapsulate Michael's attention. Although, Michael is engulfed with elevating his valued barbells, his attentiveness instantaneously fractures as his head spontaneously rotates to view me. He drops the hefty weight, allowing it to recoil on the ground and without more ado, strides over to me. No words are expressed through the method of talking, but his eyes communicate something that verbal words can never utter.

Michael is incredibly appreciative that my presence is so proximate with his, but I can distinguish a glimpse of doubt. There is an illusion in his mind whispering unremittingly how I deserted him for Dwayne, other inquiries such as why I had such feelings for him branching from the main topic. He is clueless to the disgraceful method Dwayne used. The scepticism is locked away in his brain, and his own conscious mind isn't immersed in its cell, but every so often, he will touch it and it will delay it's depart for an extensive amount of time. He doesn't trust me, and I can understand why. We were both forced under the delusion that I was a perplexed teenage girl not knowing what she desired and so, sought out another option. It isn't the truth though, it's only a falsehood Dwayne fabricated for his profit.

He softens the investigation for honesty in his features and warmly smiles before enveloping his arm around my waist.

"Dinner's ready" he informs me, steering me to the dinner table with his arm. Michael pulls out a chair for me, the legs screeching as they scrape against the floor. I thank him and sit down in the snug chair. Michael places a china plate with appetizing lasagne lying on it, steam rising from it.

* * *

We ate in silence, regularly peering up at each other with our matching ocean blue eyes. The distrust had returned with each glance he captured. In the miniscule moments where he would carry out this action, Michael was questioning himself how his girl could do this to him. How could Sierra, my girl, the girl I chose to love, do this to me? He grilled himself over these enquiries for concise seconds, but hungered to stop.

"It wasn't me, Michael" I tell him as he begins to march out of the room, causing him to halt his current motion. He revolves around, heightening his eyebrow at me, a wordless way of questioning me. "You know what I'm talking about"

"Please, explain it to me then, Sierra, since you know so much" he snarls, manifesting his frustration. What I can't understand is, why this precise moment does he begin to have hesitations about my devotion? Earlier, he portrayed an authentic character of someone who is indebted about his girlfriends return to him, but now his demeanour suggests the opposite.

"About how you think I left you for Dwayne. Well, I didn't, I had no personal feelings for him whatsoever. So, you have your answer now, Michael!" I sigh in irritation, slumping down into the chair, straightening my posture and folding my arms over my chest. "Why are you even bringing all of this up?"

Michael chuckles at me, continuing this laughter as he paces hastily out of the room and into the area where his weights are. I furrow my brow, a subtle technique of exhibiting my ferocity, and spring out of my chair and march into his weight room where other objects such as the washing machine reside. He is wrathfully tensing his sturdy muscles with his heavy weights, unleashing his anger onto something else.

"Did you hear my last question or did you just blatantly disregard it?" I interrogate, leaning against the white painted doorframe. Again, the question I asked previously repeats in my mind. Why?

"I looked for you in the cave the night you went missing. You weren't there" he notifies me, which contributes to the motive of Dwayne sniffing around frantically. "You were with him, the guy you love so much more than me"

He smelt Michael, the scent of his mother's home cooking embellished on his leather jacket and my floral perfume smothered on him. Dwayne felt threatened by Michael and embarked down the ruined halls to David. It was the last night I would spend without seeing his heinous being.

"You still haven't answered my question, Michael" My hot-headed nature is beginning to reveal itself once again. As much as I don't want to set it free onto Michael, I cannot control my individual characteristic.

"You were with him. I know you went with him that night, Sierra, because why the hell would you bring him up after three months of not seeing him and then the night you broke up with me, tell me that you two kissed,? When I saw you again with Delilah, you have no idea how relieved I was. I believe you about why you left, you care so much about Laddie, it's hard not to believe it. But, what I want to know is, why did you feel for Dwayne in the first place? I mean, why the hell would he mean that much to you for you to break up with me?" he barks, every fragment of his incredulity being exposed.

His features suddenly compose dramatically as he sees my eyes beseeching him to stop yelling and to realise the truth that has obviously not been explained to him.

"I loved you so much, Sierra, and I don't even know why I still do if you loved someone else. You're an intelligent person, Sierra. Can't you tell that I love you?" he walks over to me, using his thumb to wipe away a forlorn teardrop that surges down my cheek. "Don't cry, baby, please don't cry"

He pulls me in for an embrace, his hands cupping the back of my head affectionately, stroking my mane of dark waves. My upset over being deceived by a person I possessed trust for has finally made itself acknowledged after a permanent phase of infuriation. The anger reigns, but the sadness is primarily instigated by fact Dwayne is still fooling Michael into this counterfeit belief.

"I hate seeing you cry, princess" he soothingly hushes me, showering my forehead with kisses whilst he does this. "I love you, Sierra, but I just don't understand why you would love him" Michael tilts my chin so my watery eyes are facing him. "Why did you love him?"

I can't keep him from the truth that will justify every argument prompted, every feeling I ever felt and the intention Dwayne has. The confession must be declared, for it will rescue both Michael and I.

"I never had any love for him myself, Michael" I examine his eyes, curiosity for me to persevere etching them. "Hasn't my father told you anything?" The inquisitiveness sparks like a firework, combining with bewilderment over what my father should have enlightened him about. "I left initially for Dwayne with the intention of being his friend, but couldn't leave him because of what they were going to do to Laddie. Yes, I did love him, and had feelings for him, but they weren't my feelings. He placed them there, Michael. He tricked me using mind games. Like when you thought that rice was maggots, except it wasn't an immature little game. You do believe me, don't you?"

A scarlet hue gushes into Michael's sun-kissed skin, his nostrils flare at the speed of his heart rapidly pulsating, the blood pumping from the vital organ being compact with fury. He knows the truth now. I've never seen Michael so enraged. His rile cannot be pacified with words. Michael finally has the knowledge of how our relationship disintegrated; he storms out of the room, snatching his leather jacket from the kitchen counters.

"Michael!" I holler, causing him to twist around subsequent to unbolting the front door heatedly. "Where're you going?" It was a brainless question to ask, I know exactly where he is going, and it's my duty to discourage him from making the journey to Hudson's Bluff.

"Nobody, vampire or human, does that to you, Sierra" he growls in a low voice, the colour crimson swelling in his clenched fists. "He's hurt you, and nobody plays around with my girl like that" He swiftly rotates around, about to resume his passion to slaughter Dwayne. I dash after him, the sun pelting its rays down onto me instantly.

The vertigo flashes quicken, returning again. But I have to prevent Michael from doing this as such a deed will not receive David's clemency. Once I am equivalent with Michael, my legs buckle and convert into nothing. Michael catches me in his brawny arms the moment he views my fall and bundles me in his keeping. He carries me into the house and positions me on their pristine couch gently.

"Stay with me" I clutch onto his hand the moment he turns around following the tranquil caress on my forehead. "Please, I don't want him to hurt you"

Michael sighs in vexation that he won't be able to throttle the man who is at the peak of his detestation list, and rests below me on the sofa, arranging my exhausted head onto his chest, massaging my scalp as he coils my coffee brown roots.

We have at least thirty minutes of respite where Michael strokes my hair like a professional artist sealing an act of compassion with his masterpiece, in silence with only our exhales and inhales synchronizing in a peaceful melody.

"I'm sorry, baby" he whispers, beforehand angling my chin so I could gaze into his magnificent eyes for when he requested for forgiveness. I elevate myself from the serene posture, watching his eyes follow me as I do so.

"What are you sorry for? I understand why you got angry, you had the entitlement to be" He shouldn't be sorry at all, this isn't his fault nor is it mine.

The origin of our disputes is Dwayne and his unrealistic fantasy of proclaiming me as his mate. My induced actions were enough to push anybodies limit, so it is fully logical why his rage was intimidated. Michael unbends his back, rising to be level with me. His fingers tuck a lock of hair behind my pierced ear, shifting them so they can fondle my damp cheeks.

"For yelling at you, for making you upset when you had no idea what was going on" His eyes flick so they glower at the earring suspending from my exposed ear. He gingerly takes it out and catapults it onto the floor, the mild crash not even generating an echo.

Michael then detaches his own dangle earring from his left ear hidden by dark tresses, sliding the thin wire through my earlobe so it can majestically flow down. He gathers my hands together, lifting them like the air is fictional, and delivers them to his lips, delicately kissing each fingertip.

The palm of my hand relaxes on his cheek and my face commences encroaching his, but his supple lips reconcile with mine before I even had the chance. The compromise to terminate all fights with each other is poised, our love for each other flourishing again. A promise to throw Dwayne's malicious schemes into extinction is also concocted with this one kiss, and because of the allegiance between two lovers, we will prevail.

Our lips disconnect, but the vows and pledges remain resilient. We won't ever allow Dwayne to do this to us again. His punishment will arrive soon, it has been assured.

* * *

_Feels good to be updating again! Sorry it's taken a while, I've been revising for exams like crazy! This chapter is dedicated to SkittleMachine, as she has always been such a great friend - yup, you're one of my best friends, bud. It's also dedicated to EvilFalconOfDoom who is one hell of an awesome person! _

_Anyway, please read and review. But most importantly, enjoy! :D _

_~VogueCharlotteVogue_


	29. Hands To Heaven, But Hauled To Hell

The silence, no longer is it devoured by taunts and warnings, peace has reclaimed its title of supremacy. Our hearts drum in a relaxed synchronization, and they share the dread slaughtering the calm atmosphere. We both acknowledge that David shall be arriving soon, yet we persist to sleep. We only persist to sleep so we can be rid of the ailing truth we are intelligent enough to fathom.

They didn't come tonight, just like Marko and Paul predicted. According to them, I have to trust and have faith in my mother, a duty that is complex due to the emotional strain I have felt for eight years and a decade. After eighteen years of breathing the same air I inhale and exhale every day for those eighteen years, the strain has only been alleviated slightly. For some outlandish reason, this tows a memory from my bank of recollections about my name choice.

If my mother had obtained her right to making a decision, I wouldn't be Sierra May Frog. Instead, I would be Violeta May Frog to endorse the memory of my Spanish maternal grandparents who my mother was estranged from for many years as she went against their faith which they were extremely critical about and other anonymous reasons my mother doesn't care to recall. That was the focal reason for a choice my mother hasn't informed me of. Delilah did before she left in 1984. The other trivial reason was because it was 1969, a conclusion of the decade my parent's continued to be attached to and reside in until recently, and Mom extracted the word Violet from it. This reflected flowers, thus, reflecting the natural beauty of Earth my parents were and carry on being so fanatical about. Though I admire nature, I don't go to the extents of adoration they do. The name choice of Violeta was soon shunned by my father, leading onto my mother opting for the name Sierra. To my mother's delight, the name Sierra is of Spanish origin. She hastily agreed with my father on this name in a sly method to get what she wanted due my father being oblivious to my mother's close hereditary or origins of names.

Coincidentally, this name displays my personality as my mother once told me people called Sierra are intensely shielding of their loved ones. Treachery impairs us in an emotional slaughter which reminds me of Dwayne's betrayal to my trust and the affects it had on me during the process where I was naive enough to believe I had feelings for him. He did it in such a way though that made it rational to have the opinion I was merely a bemused teenage girl. The power of it was so strenuous, I started falling for it.

Friendship is an important component in those named Sierra's lives and is respected to the highest regard. Linking to this respect showered over those we care for, the value of appreciation is favoured to be reciprocated with the same amount distributed from our side. Above all, we desire love. Whether my mother had a premonition of me as I am now is another matter, but it forces my mind to wonder. My mother, born as Petal Corona in the state of New York, became the heir to my grandmother's wisdom as she developed, so this further leaves the question of my mother sensing future events open for answering. It could be further defended by the words to describe Delilah's name – languished and weak – something that now makes me laugh due to the word choice accuracy echoing my older sister's personality.

Through all of my thoughts, Michael and I rest. We rest to forget, to savour every moment we can steal from this period in time that will conclude shortly. David will come soon; the blood that belongs to him streaming throughout my veins taunts me over this fact. Being in this agitated slumber is the only thing causing us to be tranquil. We have each other again, we are in each other's arms, and so, it composes us.

Hours before the weakening globe of blazing fire declined and the murky night engrossing the sky with its ally being the snow white moon gleaming over the flourishing citizens who are so innocently unaware of the children roaming the hours of darkness, the light originating from it being the hero inside scratching out to demolish the evil. The moon, it is always with us but shrouded by beaming shadows we entitle the sun's rays.

Once, I despised those shadows and favoured the opposite to them, the sincere shadows that depicted the true classification of the word. Now, I yearn for those shafts of light and wish to be unchained from their immoral twin which with the power of motivation, can be morphed into something kinder.

His calming gentle snuffles he produced from his mouth during his slumber lessens the tension within me, the motioning of his chest nonchalantly rising and falling almost drifting me into a forbidden sleep. Michael is the first person I have fallen in love with, and because of this, anything he does generates a sense of serenity for me. Our bond cannot be fractured and rarely do I question this. Was it because we made love as half vampires? Did we craft a human mate bond that night three months ago? I don't tend to muse over it very often, but when I do those are the two major questions I ask myself. I'm fortunate for it, and always will be.

Whilst I rest on his soothingly levitating chest, my ear pressed against his bare chest where I can perceive the placid beat of his heart, I am trapped in sleepless thoughts. David is keeping me in this worried state so he can belittle me, but I am calm with only mere aspects of unease. I haven't reached the extent of anxiety he covets me to reach, I refuse to reach it.

Michael voices my name in a mumble, his mind living temporally in a dream, a dark heaven, a metaphor, a figure of speech for dreams and nightmares. At one time in our mortal lives we experience these two versions of a fictitious idealism. Sometimes it may be horrific, but other times it may be an undiluted paradise. We have no control over them, they solely design themselves. His hands continue to rope around me, a protection through instinct of my presence. As he exhales lengthily, grumbling a little with a smile on his lips, his robust arms tighten around my torso.

I slip my eyes to a close, willing to endeavour accessing those quaint dreams Michael is having. After mere seconds, they snap open again with a hushed groan of annoyance to escort it, not wishing to awaken Michael who is so peaceful.

My heart lurches with dread at the very noise – a **bang**. It was a loud bang, but prohibited Michael from deserting his own land of dreams, instead allowing his muscular arms to constrict around my lean body accompanied with another murmur travelling tenderly out of his mouth, his fingers clutching onto masses of coffee brown hair sprouting from my scalp. It may have been Grandpa fumbling around with his taxidermy objects, it could have been the wind outside causing a trash can to lose its balance. But the wind is melodious and Grandpa is asleep, and that dismayed instinct of mine asserts that it is in fact three vampires who have come to complete their unknown retribution driven by insanity.

Every limb I own disentangles from Michael's arms, elevating my spine to position myself upright. My body shielded by a striped white shirt Michael loaned me and pink shorts with a repeated pattern of white polka dots moves along the yielding mattress, glides out from the cotton blankets acting as a refuge to those who are relaxing in that dreamland, then placing my feet steadily onto the wooden planks. Seconds away from Michael's security rouses Michael whose eyes flutter open sleepily, the same amount of time – a singular second – being the length of time that registers where I currently stand, my position being near the door, my fingers ceasing movement and their intention of creaking open the solidly closed door an inch to scour the eerily quiet corridor.

"Baby? What is it?" he yawns, supporting his next action of sitting upright, his back against the wooden bed frame, with his hands. Once I reply with an explanation about the thunderous noise and my belief of what it could be, and what it most likely is, his ocean blue eyes that are identical to mine in the pigment hue widen. "Come back to bed, baby"

I furrow my eyebrows, not comprehending the reasoning behind his words. I want to discover the source of the noise, which will either conclude in two things – alleviation or battle. Alleviation being sought through the noise not being created by David, and battle through the contradictory to that. I open my mouth to protest, but Michael's voice is heard in place of mine.

"Sierra, drop your stubborn nature for once and come back to bed, sweetheart" Michael says in an uncompromising tone, folding his arms to exhibit the dominance in his words. "I'll come over there and get you back to bed myself if I have to" Michael then smirks, a devious scheme created within a short span of moments. "Don't make me count to three, Sierra May Frog"

Unrelenting to move, half of me wanting to locate the roots to the noise, the other half frightened of the truth, I remain where I am standing. Without further hesitation, Michael springs off the bed, the metal spirals creaking slightly with this shift, hastily bundling me into his arms with a deepened caress on my lips to assure me that everything is going to be fine. We both know that it isn't, but he doesn't hope for me to fret over it.

"You're so stubborn, baby" he chuckles through thirsted and gentle fondles on my lips, his kisses being the suggestive that these are our last precious seconds on this surface we call Earth under the velvet drape consumed with glittering constellations. We are both unwavering about our future, ensuring we will own it together.

These aren't our final moments, and we both know it. Michael gingerly places me onto the edge of the mattress whilst he crouches on the wooden floor, his summery breath tingling over my bare kneecaps where his rests his forehead, my thumb soothingly rubbing his underneath the masses of loose ringlets. In a quick movement, Michael elevates his head where he sets his field of vision onto me.

"I love you so much, Sierra. They aren't going to hurt you again. I promise, angel" he whispers restfully, increasing the height of his arm to stroke my cheek gently where I consent my head to lean delicately against the back of his hand with layers of silken skin. "It's the final time, sweetheart. We're gonna beat them. We're gonna do it. I promise you"

"I love you, too" I whisper, arching my back until my nose makes contact with Michael's head, my lips planting a singular kiss there. Michael gathers me in his arms again, holding me serenely proximate to him with strength, my head nesting in his shoulder, followed by Michael also doing the same to mine. "I know we can, Michael"

"Oh, do you now?" Those four words engulfed by spite contract Michael's muscles but not because he wishes to strike the possessor of that smoky voice, but to protect me in his arms. A malevolent chuckle exits a man who aches to transform into my master, a dictator. "You cannot beat me, Michael, and neither can the love of your pathetic life. You cannot beat me, Sierra, you can only be with me. I command it"

"Don't listen to him, baby, don't listen to him" Michael informs me with criticality, tilting my head hastily to lock his eyesight with my own. "Leave her alone, David! Sierra isn't yours. Sierra is mine, and always will be. You're so insane you won't even realise it"

"Insane? How am I insane, Michael? Because I want your precious little girlfriend? If anything, Michael, that makes you the insane one, not me. Paranoid is what you are, Michael. Paranoid that I'll take her from you. Because you love her so much, don't you? We all know who Mikey loves, don't we, Michael? We all know who defied the laws of being mortal and created a mate bond with Sierra. Bonds can be broken though, Michael, and I will break your petty bond" David growls and I have only one opinion of it that I hope David can perceive – over my dead body.

"If you lay one single finger on her, David, I swear to God –"

"You'll what, stake me? Let go of the stake, Michael, you can't kill me. I am immortal, not mortal, so don't treat me like I am" he snarls, but Michael disobeys his petty order and clutches onto the serrated wooden stake. "Let – it – go – Michael"

"We aren't going to bow down to you, David. Remember, you weren't invited" I growl, my hands wrapped around Michael, titanium strength dashing throughout me to keep Michael out of harm's way. Nobody will even dare trespass my security.

The ominous chuckle gives birth to repercussions that circuit the room at a sluggish pace. Though the pace is protracted, he will attack soon. My prediction is correct as he becomes imminent with Michael, that grin provoking Michael who is tensing from rage as a result of David challenging him using an invasion of his personal district and threatening language.

"Hand her over to me, Michael. She's mine" David snarls, elongating his fangs piercing out of his gums. Michael doesn't flinch, but simply holds onto me whilst his facial features reveal his fury.

"Sierra is mine" Michael ceremoniously declares in a sneer. He continues to clutch onto the wooden stake David commanded him to drop previously.

Michael, like myself, won't ever capitulate to David – ever. Then, suddenly, my brow knits together and a crescendo of apprehension rushes throughout me. Michael's body collapses, like he has unexpectedly been stricken by a magic charm. Or in this case, a hex since I know exactly what morally sinful act David has committed – mind games.

"Wha – what... did you do?" I ask, drops of water striving to be incarcerated inside my tear glands as my trembling hands bundle Michael up. "Michael? Baby, wake up, please wake up" He appears undisturbed, like this curse is repressing him in peace. Have they knocked Michael unconscious? Will he ever wake up again? Combining with the worry is enragement in its purest form. They have haunted my boyfriend with something to prevent any accomplishments that vow their demise. The two vampires in front of me, they are nothing but cowards.

"Cowards, huh? Go to sleep, Sierra, before you start saying anymore preposterous things about your masters" David chuckles, his lips pressing hostilely against my forehead regardless of my weakening exertions to both awaken Michael and stay awake to avoid David's despotism. "He'll be back soon, darling. But for now, go to sleep, you need your rest" I hear him corruptly chuckle as my consciousness ebbs away. Though I may be falling into a delicate state of mind soon, I persist to fight against Dwayne soaring me into his tarnished chains where he cradles me. "Knowing your dear Michael, if you join, he'll follow. Oh, this should be fun"

Each punch renovates from a vigorous strike to a deteriorated thump as darkness fades in. I try to battle it, but David gets potent and the dusk supports him. Until a blinding light comes to visit me where I shall be with Marko and Paul, I am ensnared in an everlasting shadow.

* * *

_Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter everyone! Also, thank you to Miss-Understood for being a new reviewer, I really appreciate your reviews and glad you like my story :) Oh yeah, credit goes to Miss-Understood for Michael and Sierra's new name: Mierrael :3 _

_I want to dedicate this chapter to my friend and author, takingmytears. Not only is she an amazing person but a great writer. I strongly recommend you read her stories: A Soul To Take, Inside My Heart (a sequel to Soul To Take) and Childhood Fears. So there's your little shoutout I've been owing you for aggggggesssssss ;D _

_Hope you all enjoy the story and leave a review to let me know what you think :) _

_Thanks for reading guys :) _

_~VogueCharlotteVogue_


	30. Never Surrender

_This chapter is dedicated to the following for following, favouriting, and some for reviewing during the time I've been writing this story: _

_~BoatsAgainstTheCurrents  
~MoggieFish  
~LovingTLB  
~SPEEDIE22  
~Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan  
~damonadark-hunterfan69  
~linnie31  
~randomobsession123  
~stackhouse7  
~tbecca2015  
~twilighter256  
~DruscillaNyx  
~sumdayskies  
~Miss-Understood  
~SkittleMachine  
~booklover457  
~ThePhantomismylove  
~LostGirlForever  
~N3ko8_

_You guys have fuelled my motivation, so you deserve the shoutout! Hope you all enjoy reading, and thank you :)_

_Little song quote as well just to start everything off: _

**_Never feared for anything, never shamed but never free_**

_Avenged Sevenfold._

* * *

Shudders multiple in my bones, all from that one gaze. It possesses an aptitude to intimidate, intelligence from common knowledge to instinct, and above all, jeopardy. Something like that should intrigue me immediately, but as an alternative, it only terrifies me. The intense stare is poisoned. Like my current state where I cannot observe the exquisite day, it has potential of being toxic. I want him to terminate that stare, his eyes fixated on my very being. It is far too irritating.

"Stop it, Dwayne" I growl, the tone exhibiting the degree to which I despise him. He came into my sanctuary stealthily, and _isolated_ me, _pillaged_ me, from Michael, the one man who makes me feel secure. Dwayne, however, does not cease his intent looking upon me, only constructing more infuriation within everything I am. "I said, stop. When I say stop, I mean it"

David chuckles, a _low, ominous_ chuckle that transmits _anxious trembles _down the length of my spine, and paces around. Now, I don't only have Dwayne's eyes immersing my being, but David's wintry blue ones as well. _Just my luck_, I muse to myself. I shan't weep, nor shall I crumble to a frenzied condition, not in front of them. Disregarding the people situated in front of me, it is most definitely not in my nature to disintegrate unless I have made full contact with desperation. Everyone has their limits, and I am still human.

_Can I have limits?_ Can I as this mutated creature? Half human, half vampire – what even is that? Does that torturous beast even have a name? A name, everything must have a name, it's the way the world functions. The world spirals, people are born, and are gifted a name. But am I even a person now? Half human, half vampire – am I still Sierra? Sierra May Frog, there is only half of her pulsating in my alive heart. A sector of my heart though, it is lifeless and it is a vampire. All for something David wants, something viciously fermenting in the form of a craving. What does he want? What is this assignment David is so dedicated to? _Twenty-three_ years, roughly _8400 days_. He is so livid, the both of them. _1964, _what is so exceptional and elite about that one year? Five years prior to 1969, the year I was both conceived by Judd and Petal Frog, an accidental creation made but a blessing according to my newborn mother, and brought into this world to breathe that crisp September air.

Then, _Michael. _Michael infiltrates my mind, the imagery of his loose brown curls and ocean blue eyes, the light stubble on his triangular shaped jaw, it all prompts worry to be liberated from a cage deep in my mind, veiled by all the interrogations flocking to my thoughts rapidly. He was composedly sleeping, ensnared in a benevolent dimension of dreams against his own self-control. Is he awake? Is he alive? If David murdered him, I wouldn't be able to set Michael free, wouldn't be able to say farewell. I would never allow him to glide away from me if the tragedy occurred where he became a victim of David's treacherous claws. He can't, _I love him. Please, Michael, don't let go. _

"That boyfriend of yours is fine, darling" David spits, the word 'darling' being the measly portrayal of counterfeit compassion. _Counterfeit, _everything is _counterfeit. _He lusts to entice me into his clutches, to transform me into an immortal being. "You'll see" He is just _exploiting _me, _abusing _me – my emotions, my trust and my heart, they all mistreated it. "The anniversary is nigh"

There is an anniversary? My capture must have significance, a date, a time, something to denote why this is happening to me? If I ask the correct question with eloquence, a pitch, a word choice that is deemed as worthy then I shall be gifted with answers. How should I ask? How should I speak? Assertive is a definite, but I have a naturally restful voice. Will it be enough for him to respond with the remedies I necessitate to be educated of? Passive is far away from who I am, but could I convert into aggressive due to the incalculable demands being forced upon me?

"Don't call me that, David. I'm not your goddamn darling" I sneer, but it only delights a sickening humour David possesses as his chuckles heighten, the misty smoke in it being cleared only a little. "What's the anniversary, David?"

"Not the right question, Sierra!" David shouts, slumping into his dust infected wheelchair, the elderly particles soaring into the air, vanishing as they leisurely drift through the bedevilled atmosphere, hiding from the men who have claimed the life of my sister. It reminds me, how many lives do they have to take? How much more despair has to be needlessly spilled in a mixture with blood? "Ask the right question and you shall –"

"Yes! I know, David! Ask the right question and you shall be given the right freaking answer!" I exasperatedly sigh. Then, I realise. With that ferocious side of me displayed, I may never unmask David's decadent plot. Because the desire to unleash my temper was futile, there will be suffering. Suffering, an eternal or human life not acquainted with the truth behind the deceits, and my loved ones having to face a consequence. "David, please may you just tell me the answer?"

"Let me think for a moment, Sierra –" he abruptly pauses, advancing over to me with perils marking each of his footsteps. Closer, he grows closer, the evil dominating him _maturing, smouldering_. "No" That tone, so adamant. I shall never know.

Dwayne does not bring his staring to a halt, that eruption of fury seething inside the very core of me. There is no restraining that unrequited gaze. Once, there was so many characteristics to him I admired, now there is nothing, just a meaningless void. Whereas others who are rejected descend into a world where they belief they are morally to blame, a natural instinct, he persists and patently shuns any morals. No matter how many times I refuse him, he tediously perseveres.

"I thought I told you to stop looking at me, Dwayne. Now, actually be a gentlemen, or even better, an authentic man, get the message that I don't belong to you, and leave me alone" I shout, each fragment of my rage and detestation for him being discharged from its cell. Malevolently, he growls like a displeased animal protecting his territory. The territory I have offended is his manhood. However, this wrath of mine is refusing to waste away. "You only kissed me because you wanted to incorporate an influence into your twisted plan. You played your mind games from that moment"

"I kissed you because I want you, Sierra! You can't understand that you don't belong with that brainless jock called Michael! You belong with me, your true mate" Dwayne protests in an incensed battle to exhibit who is the dictator. He seems to forget though, I'm too unyielding to consent him to ordain me. I spring out of the chair I was placed into during my forced rest, tremors of enmity sprinting at a rapid velocity throughout me.

"You knew my nature wouldn't allow me to kill you that night! You manipulated me! You know, Dwayne, that was a great idea to gain my trust – offer your life up, acknowledging I wouldn't do it in a million years. Then, I saw Pepsi kiss Michael, who is the complete opposite of your description, and coincidentally, you appear out of the blue!" I yell. If he knows what is healthier for him, he won't even challenge himself to retaliate. "Wow, Dwayne, what a noble man you are, tricking an unavailable girl into loving you just because you have some petty crush" With that sarcastic note, I have finished and slump back into the chair, alleviation surging over me as I have finally vented my rancour for the man who shattered every bit of reliance I possessed for him. Now, I just long for Michael's embrace. I scan Dwayne, the fact if he dares to react being me striking back verbally. All David does is chuckle, watching, stalking.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Insulting my manhood like you're someone important? You're important to me, Sierra, and you know it! You will be my mate, Sierra, and you won't have a choice" he sneers. I know he desires me, but his mate? What will he achieve from that? Why does he want me so intensely?

"I don't think so, Dwayne" Everything ceases. The noise – chuckles, sneers, growls – they all contort into silence. I wished to say those _precise _words, but they didn't come from my lips. They should have never came here, no matter how much I covet for their face to arrive into my field of vision, no matter how much I yearn for their embrace – he shouldn't have came.


	31. Run To You

_Sorry it's shorter than usual, but I've been having severe writer's block... it's not fun :( Hope you all enjoy! And, if you have the time, check out a new story called 'Through The Looking Glass', I did it with EvilFalconofDoom and it isn't in anyway related to this series, like a little one-off thing. Anyway, if you do want to read it or just have a little look, I hope you enjoy :) I also hope you enjoy this chapter! :D _

_SkittleMachine: Aw thank you, baba! Ditto with your writing! Ooh little promotion here for you: EVERYONE CHECK OUT THIS BEAUT'S STORY ON LOST BOYS, IT'S ONE HELL OF A GOOD ONE. We need to stop having little intervals between conversations, we haven't talked into forever and it makes me sad :( _

_Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: I'll be joining you! Poor Laddie's just too cute. As for The Frog Bros, who else would make us laugh? _

_LovingTLB: Ermmm, offending manhood isn't the best idea... But yeah, you can shout fight if you want XD _

_EvilFalconofDoom: Not sure if this is from previous chapter, or chapter before that one... my head just got messed with then. Mwahaa, you will have to wait and see what I've got up my sleeve! _

**_She says her love for me could never die  
~Run To You, Bryan Adams._**

* * *

My first words - heeded as a _scream, a plea_. The words congregated into a _question, _that _question _echoing around this cave barren due to lack of voices I can perceive, only a bleak silence – interrogated Michael, who intrepidly yet imprudently stands in the archway on the final step before he trespasses The Lost Boys property, on why he has came here. I'm not so obtuse as to disregard the reasoning behind his deemed intrusion, which oddly seems to be only benefitting David's amusement, but what of his safety? There are certain borderlines when challenging the remainder of The Lost Boys, and once encroached too far, there are dire consequences – _death _included. Though I have no first-hand experience on this, I have heard theirs through conversation, and the imagery of congealed blood forming into a puddle is one I don't wish to contort into a reality.

_What are you doing here? _These were my first words to him, that scream reverberating in this hollow space I have been acquainted with for so many years. I can't move an inch, like I am being _oppressed _to do so. Is David, Dwayne, or even both of them, detaining my right to protect the man I _love_? Michael only glances at me with all the care and a defending manner glistening in the ocean blue pigment I fell for.

"Something I've been wanting to do for a while" Michael growls. Before I can interrogate those words devoured by incense and such yearning to destroy something, Michael sprints into the cave and immediately after I register his intentions, a _split second, _there is a repeat of the physical action I faltered to cease. Skin colliding with skin, roars of indignation, snarls, and finally, another imploring yell from my lips, only one word, a precious name, dashing over my tongue and escaping past lips: _Michael. _"How dare you hurt my girl?" he bellows. He can't do this, it will _kill _him.

"Michael, stop!" I scream, the beseeching masqueraded by a command. "Please, Michael, stop!" I can't even _touch _him, not one finger, without being incarcerated in frosty arms belonging to the one I truly despise. Still, I fight them. Just like I always will do to be free. I won't discontinue this battle with my demons until I conquer them, until I am unbound from this insufferable curse. "Michael!"

I can't close my eyes. No blinking can be consented. Watching this vicious brawl manifest from an aggressive and fierce punch into something so monstrous, a gruesome fight where the blood only flies into the air because it's terrified of the vampire beating the human, it disgusts me how I am being forbidden to assist the one I love in fleeing this abominable fight. Michael will persist, as like me, he is stubborn, too stubborn. All he can see is that vivid red signifying the hatred smouldering inside of him, the desire so forceful that common sense is eradicated. Hopefully, my frantic beckons will haul him out of this enraged dome invisible to the eye.

"Enough!" At last, Dwayne retracts at his master's request, leaving Michael in a bloody state to decline to the floor, clutching his nose where blood gorges out of it. "I think that was enough fun for one night. Don't you agree, Michael? Or since Michael might be having an issue talking right now, what about you, Sierra?" I thrust David away, at long last being away from his detestable arms, and run to Michael. "Take him to the tidal pool out the back and clean him up. Such a miracle your pretty boy still looks pretty" David chuckles, this brief yet sickening contest to kill somehow amusing him. I glower at him, then bringing a severely wounded Michael to his feet, the quivers adding to my worry for his health.

"I'm not done yet" Michael grunts. My response is quickening our pace before he can retaliate.

"I don't give a shit whether you're done or not, you're not getting hurt again" I mutter, my voice sounding strained from the withering strength in my muscles as they combat the excruciation of this burdening affliction.

"Just think about it, Sierra, at least it wasn't your brothers. Although, if pretty boy steps out of line, that can be easily arranged. Right, Dwayne?" David says. Now he has angered me to the absolute maximum. He tuts at the seething crimson blotches swarming my cheeks, wagging his finger to chide me like a child would be. "Or, if you step out of line, our contract is voided. I'm sure Laddie would love to be immortal"

"You bastard!" Michael roars, attempting to spiral around until some magical power lurking within me decides enough is enough. I tug Michael back, the vigour trembling in my fingers, beyond those sturdy bones.

No more blood shall be spilled purely for David's amusement. Michael abides, the persuasive expression engraved onto my face composing him and allowing some intelligence to pour into his brain. Michael thinks of Laddie as a little brother, more so as a son when they bonded together over summer following the last battle. We continue the hunt for Laddie's biological parents, but until we discover them, Star, Michael and I shall be the adoptive ones who cherish him like we would our own blood.

"You're not getting to my brothers, David, nor are you hurting Laddie. You forget the reason I agreed in the first place to this – to protect those who I care for" I declare before indicating Michael that we are going to embark down the daunting corridors with a tender yank at his t-shirt, soon abandoning David and Dwayne to chuckle perilously at Michael's misfortune. Michael, however, storms around to face a smirking Dwayne, his arm elongated and a finger targeted portentously at him.

"You stay away from Sierra. You don't look at her, you don't touch her, and you don't talk to her. After what you've done to her, you're lucky I didn't kill you" Michael snarls.

"Michael –" I attempt to interrupt with a single beckoning and a gentle stroke on his shoulder. To my dismay, I am soon silenced as he perseveres to have his say.

"There is one thing you need to learn – Sierra's my girl. Hurt her again, and I swear to God, that goddamn immortality of yours will end" he growls, twisting around again, his sturdy arm wrapped around my waist in order to chaperon me to the tidal pool David suggested.

"I'd like to see you try, Michael! Sierra will be mine, whether you like it or not!" Dwayne barks, echoes voyaging from his voicebox into our ears. I can perceive a low and dangerous rumble in Michael's throat. When provoked, he attacks. Quickly, I grasp onto his lower arm, lugging him in the opposite direction.

"Keep walking" I snap, not in the slightest ecstatic. If this were diverse circumstances, I would be more than exultant to see Michael. However, the consequences of his arrival are anonymous, and most likely dire.

Every person in this room, whether they are departing or staying, dead or alive, immortal or mortal, we all know that Michael has just ploughed into his own fatality, and because of his intentions, I will have to suffer with the guilt of it.


	32. White Heat

_EvilFalconOfDoom: Yeah, I think everyone knew that Michael was going to pop up at one point. The guys deep in love, and doesn't think :') _

_Sarah-Frog-Brothers-Fan: Need any help slapping Dwayne in the back of the head? As long as we don't mess up his hair, it's all good! _

_BoatsAgainstTheCurrent: Hey again! Don't worry about it, it's all good :D Thank you! The same applies to you, promise I'll read that story on Lardass today by the way, haven't had time recently :'( Hope you enjoy! _

_ThePhantomismyLove: May I just say, that your pen name is awesome! Don't worry, here is more! Hope you enjoy :) _

_Hope that everyone enjoys this chapter, it was real fun writing it :'3 _

**_What happened? What do I remind you of? Your past, your dreams.  
~Waiting, Madonna _**

* * *

Pained hisses are produced from his mouth as I dab at the savage gashes leaching with crimson blood, the salt vehemently ridiculing the new wounds. Droplets of the salt laden water dribble nonchalantly around his flesh being tormented by a sharp agony as I squeeze the rag given to me. For a moment, I truly believed that I could see the thriving life invigorated by rage and a passion to endow those he loves with a refuge far away from jeopardy, ebbing away. It was just my theatrical imagination vexing too much though as Michael soon informed me that he was okay and feeling in good health. His physical appearance definitely says otherwise what with the blotches of purple and grey materializing where Dwayne's knuckles struck and the blood cascading leisurely down his torso. We had only exchanged a few words as he knew better than to converse with me when I am extremely apprehensive about the environment he has been pioneered into once again, only to familiarize himself with it once more, to survey the horrors he thought concluded three months ago. This isn't the only emotion injuring the glee I should be taking pleasure from as my loved one has returned, but it is only a mere percentage of the dread and fear I can never express.

Sometimes, I have often mused over whether this is dream, a dream that I'm so entranced in that I've found myself begging for someone not to wake me. Alongside the curse is the sensation of being real. Because the dream is so vivid, it is created into a reality. Vampires aren't supposed to exist, that's the belief I tolerated for practically all of my life. To me, it was a delusion my brother's trusted and had faith in until the very end of their subsistence. With each unfurling second in my life, I thought it was unfeasible for people to become immortal. The only people who I considered monsters were those who committed immoral felonies. Now I have accessed the outrageous truths of the real universe, I now can acknowledge I am real, that this dilemma is real.

"Remember that story I used to tell you about when I lived in Phoenix? You know, the one about my Science teacher?" Michael attempts to establish a discussion, but with a single glance at my averted eyes, the extended eyelashes partially masquerading my blue eyes from looking up at him, he realises I have not got a placid temper currently to respond.

Knowing Michael and how his tenacity is equal to mine, he shan't relinquish the potential opportunities to talk to me for as long as this irritated disposition lasts. I'm more worried for him than anything, and that worry usually masks itself as moderate enmity. He exhales deeply, an indication that he will never surrender and will do all he can to make me cheerful again. Because of experience, I know he will succeed. I won't ever confess that to him, I don't have to. Somehow with Michael, I can't stay angry.

"The only way you'll pass this class is by believing in dinosaurs, they still exist, roam the world" As Michael starts impersonating his old Science teacher whose fascination in prehistoric beings went beyond disturbing, I purse my lips, my teeth clamping down on the bottom lip to ward off laughter.

He knows exactly what he's doing, especially since this is one of the many stories he knows makes me laugh. Michael's fingers interweave with my thick strands of coffee brown hair, curling around them gingerly to create a tranquil ambiance. His pitch grows higher, still resembling a man as he trails on about his Science's teachers view on what they have to do to excel in the subject, until his face is imminent to mine, his grin shuddering as he endeavours to suppress his howls of laughter.

"Do you believe in dinosaurs, Mr. Emerson?" Immediately, we both unleash our hilarity, laughing together in a perfect harmony, a smile I've never shown before pencilling on my lips. "Hey, I've never seen you smile like that before" Somehow, Michael observes this alteration in the way the corners of my blushed-coloured lips angle themselves. "I like it, keep on smiling like that for me. I didn't know telling stories of my high teacher got you to smile like that" I don't know what it is, but he tends to discern these little things. "I know you're not happy with me, Sierra. I made a promise to you though. I told you that you're never going to be alone again, and I told you that I'm not losing you again"

"You're right, I'm not happy with you. I'm not angry, just worried for you. Coming here wasn't exactly the best idea, Michael" I sigh. Michael, though, disagrees with my judgment with a shaking of his head. He compresses his fingers coiled around mine down to capture my attention, not too tightly, but just the right degree of softness.

"Listen, Sierra, I made a promise, and I'm a man of my word. I don't want to lose you again, and whatever the outcome, I'm staying with you. You need to learn not to be so independent all the time. For once, there's going to be someone to support you, someone to console you, and that person is going to be me. No matter how many arguments we have, no matter how many times I have to repeat this, I'm not leaving. I'm not going to hurt you like others have" Michael whispers, his dewy hands gliding around my waist. "Sweetheart, you need to believe me when I say this. I'm not leaving, I'm not going to ever hurt you, and I'm always going to be here for you"

"I believe you and the same goes for you" Even with a thankful smile on my face, I can't stop my inflexible nature, no matter how much I wish to, I can't. It's typical human nature, a component in my personality. I am appreciative of his care though, and will be eternally. The smile isn't counterfeit, and neither are the words I just produced.

Suddenly, Michael begins to chuckle at me, like this stubborn characteristic has amused him. I know he won't hurt me like others have, that he won't give me any emotional or physical scars, he cares too much to do so. Likewise for Michael on my part, I vowed never to wound him.

"You're so damn stubborn, angel" Before I can even retaliate, Michael collects me into his arms, the glacial waters portraying a shell as I slide into him with Michael's aid, my body becoming weightless as it is absorbed into the natural element of the sea. I gasp, cussing like never before as the light currents generated by my sudden presence entering the deep lair enshrouding me. "Do I really have to start singing to make you happy? I don't want to have to inflict my tone-deaf voice onto you" All I can do is giggle contentedly at his mirth, also finding some delight in how Michael had foreseen my modification in moods. "Damn it, I'm gonna do it anyway, just to see that smile again!" Michael inhales a profound amount of oxygen, preparing himself with splutters of chuckles exiting from both of our mouths. "_I touch you once, I touch you twice, I won't let go at any price. I need you now like I need you then" _

He can't allow me to undergo his singing any longer as we both succumb to the vigorous laughter engulfing us. Now I earnestly feel a morsel of joy, seepage from this dismal segregation from a human population and my own humanity being located at long last.

"Nice singing" I snicker, flicking water at his face, only to receive the same playful globules trickling off of my jaw.

"Why, thank you! I thought so, too" Michael laughs, patting the tip of my nose daintily, a humorous face accompanying it representing a sense of shock and rebellion for touching it, his mouth rapidly crafting itself into an 'O' shape with a pop. "So, I'm off the hook?"

"I'll have to think about it" I say after a moment's deliberation. He's off the hook, but I won't express it to him. Sooner or later he'll fathom that, if he hasn't already. Jokingly, Michael pouts at me, tilting his head slightly, his saturated curls draping past his shoulder with the slants influence.

"I really didn't think I'd have to do this, Sierra" Michael says in a sigh, incorporating his theatrical acting skills. Yet the devilish smirk on his face surfaces to expose his secrets. "Guess I'll just have to use tickle torture on you!" Before the fortune of defying his promise, squeals of laughter liberate themselves. As his fingers mercilessly force the reflex action out, I manage hearing Michael asking for my clemency. However, this playful jubilation is soon hastily concluded at one smoky cough – _David. _

"I am sincerely apologetic to stop the fun" David comments in a monotone voice, the sarcasm being emitted in a ghastly odour. "I see Sierra will be requiring new clothes thanks to your little game, Michael. No issues, of course. Alas, a man's shirt used as nightwear isn't too appealing to the male species" He exhales the smoke assembling in his mouth, his frosty blue eyes focusing _only _on Michael and I despite Delilah's howls for attention in the background. "Pity"

Instinctively, Michael's arms constrict around me as mine do around him, foolishly challenging himself to glare at David.

"Anyway, I'm sure you wouldn't want the dear love of your life getting ill, would you, Michael?" David chuckles, inhaling another drag of that odious signature cigarette of his in an interval. "Those wounds will clear up by tomorrow, Michael. After all, I'm sure you aren't going to break that beloved promise to Sierra, are you?"

I furrow my eyebrows for a second, the questions beginning to swarm into my head about what delusions he has brought to life now. No matter how icy this water is, Michael doesn't move an inch, and neither do I. I'd rather resist the arctic conditions than go near David.

"Why is Sierra here, David? Why did you choose two sisters from the same family?" Michael sneers. Then, we both loosen the shielding chains as a smirk crawls ominously onto David's lips. We all know what that smirk means, and to me, it's positive. For once, that smirk will provide me with some light in this oblivious dark.

"Those, Michael, are the right questions. You see, it isn't about the words, it's about the person. What would be the fun in telling Sierra directly? Plus, the more time, the better." David chuckles. How I wish to murder that heinous chuckle once and for all. The aspiration is too intense, but still I avoid it like they are friends to me, a cursed diamond never to be touched. Releasing the past is hard, but it is affecting my present and future.

"Then tell us" Michael demands, reinstating the strength in his arms to protect me. David pauses, allowing those two corners of his lips to arch into a devious grin.

Evil in its most pellucid form is about to unveil everything. My ears listen intently as the tension mounts. Finally, a singular chuckle, ravaged by sin, sounds.

"Why do you want Delilah and Sierra so much, David?" Michael's endurance to waste time is withering, as is mine. Soon though, we will know.

"Why that's easy, Michael" Again, he brings his words to a hiatus.

That grin collapses drastically, the very indication that we are seconds away from truth. Eyes directed at us, malevolence engrossing every feature shown on that human disguise, the clock is counting down. David opens his mouth to speak: Could it be we are about to learn about what happened 23 years prior to tonight, what this anniversary may mark?

"_Revenge_"


End file.
